Beyoncé, Kylie Jenner Comparisons Spark Debate

Similarities between Kylie Jenner and Beyoncé are causing controversy on social media.

Queen Bey wowed onlookers at the Super Bowl on Sunday with her country-inspired outfit. Donning a figure-hugging black dress, bolo tie and sky-high blonde hair, the 42-year-old singer added fuel to rumors that a country album is on the way.

Although her look appeared to pay tribute to country music icon Dolly Parton, her ensemble drew comparisons to another celebrity, reality star Kylie Jenner.

"I had to take a double-take, I literally thought this was Kylie Jenner," said TikTok user Jessica Weslie Arena (@jessweslie).

The poster also saw a resemblance to Jenner's older half-sisters, telling followers: "She's kind of looking like Kim Kardashian and Khloe."

At the time of publishing, Weslie's video had been viewed over 36,000 times.

However, the BeyHive took offense to the comparison between the Grammy winner and the Kardashian-Jenner clan, especially as the socialites have previously been accused of "Blackfishing" and cultural appropriation.

"Black fishing is when white or white adjacent celebrities extrapolate pieces of Black culture and consciously pass said pieces off as original ideas, or as setting a new trend, for personal gain," Quentin Latham, a pop culture expert and the owner of the Funky Dineva YouTube channel, told Newsweek.

"It's most commonly seen in hairstyles, fashions, vernacular/speech, and most recently, body type with the influx of surgeries for a large butt and full lips."

"Kylie is the one that tans her skin has lip fillers has done surgery to look like a woc. Beyoncé is naturally like this," user Boutique tok commented on Weslie's video.

"Kylie literally had all these changes made to her face and body. Beyoncé is Beyoncé," agreed @ingriiddd.

"We all know Kylie had adopted trends made popular by black women," wrote Dream place.

"No, Beyonce is not trying to look like Kylie Jenner, that whole family has been cosplay BIPOC their entire lives," said @luciaralepobe on X, formerly Twitter.

Peace agreed, writing: "Kylie Jenner has been chasing this prototype for like 4-5 surgeries."

Newsweek has reached out to Beyoncé and Kylie Jenner for comment via email.

Latham said the Kardashian-Jenner clan are "notorious" for Blackfishing.

"Black people are shamed and villainized by the dominant culture for the aspects that are being appropriated," Latham explained. "Watching certain individuals profit from the very thing that you've been demonized for is dehumanizing."

"Continuing to appropriate other cultures, when you've already been called out for it, is also harmful.

"Silently and passively sitting back and reaping the rewards, while not properly crediting the originators, is a false narrative," Latham said.

Jenner confessed that her full lips were the result of fillers in 2017, leading to allegations of cultural appropriation. Many Black women condemned the 26-year-old, accusing her of profiting off a trait that they had suffered discrimination for.

In 2020, Jenner was slammed for wearing braids in a cover shoot for Paper magazine. Shared to the beauty mogul's Instagram account, the image shows a bleached-blonde Jenner with braided pig tails high upon her head.

Braids were specifically created for coiled and tight-textured locks, with the hairstyle dating back to 3500 B.C. Africa.

A selfie of Jenner wearing cornrows caused similar uproar in 2016. Her sister Kim Kardashian has also been blasted for donning such hairstyles, while Khloe Kardashian has previously been called out for wearing Bantu knots, a technique originating from the Zulu tribes of southern Africa.

Latham said Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is a good example of a white celebrity helping to fight cultural appropriation. When the media began referring to the tight end's fade as the "Travis Kelce cut," the 34-year-old didn't take credit for the style.

"While he may not have found it prudent to give the press a history lesson on the very popular Black men's haircut, he made it clear that he did not create, nor did he see it fit, to take credit for it," Latham said.

"He had enough integrity to not allow mainstream media to deem him the all exalted ruler of the fade."

Update 02/22/24, 09:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include expert comment from Quentin Latham.