Billboard tweet sexualizing North West stirs up ire on internet

The music trade publication Billboard has reaped an online backlash after tweeting a photograph of North West and her mother Kim Kardashian.

The tweet, which has since been taken down, was of a photo of Kardashian carrying North, who is eating a lollipop. Along with the photo, Billboard wrote: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

A link accompanying the tweet goes to an article about two-year-old North telling paparazzi not to take her picture. In a video embedded in the story, North, exhibiting familiarity in dealing with the media, walks to ballet class and says: “I said no pictures.”

Following Billboard’s tweet, several followers of the publication responded, calling it “disgusting” and “gross”.

Billboard later tweeted the link and photo with a different caption: “North West is already pretty sassy (but in a cute way).”