Trump-supporting Christian beauty influencer says she’s been ‘cancelled’ by Sephora over her views
Trump-supporting Christian beauty influencer says she’s been ‘cancelled’ by Sephora after makeup brand dropped her as a paid partner because of backlash over her conservative political views
- Amanda Ensing, 29, regularly shares political views alongside beauty tips online
- She came under fire for pro-Trump comments in the wake of the Capitol riots
- The influencer posted a Sephora sponsored video on Saturday on YouTube
- But a backlash caused the brand to take down the video and part with the star
- She claims she is being silenced for her Christian and conservative views
A Christian pro-Trump influencer claims she has been ‘silenced’ by beauty retailer Sephora after the brand dropped her as a paid partner because of backlash over her political and religious views.
Amanda Ensing, 29, who boasts 1.4million followers on Instagram, regularly posts beauty and lifestyle videos while sharing her conservative views, and recently shared a paid-for YouTube video in which she listed her favorite skincare products from Sephora.
However, the video was posted in the wake of furious backlash over comments Ensing made about pro-Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6, with many fellow influencers criticizing her views.
She wrote; ‘The left: I hate it here. America is embarrassing. Only we can riot & loot. Defund the police. Just do what the government tells you & don’t ask questions.
‘The right: Let’s fight for freedom. We love the USA. Defend the Constitution. We support our Military & Law enforcement.’
Others have also accused her of spreading QAnon conspiracy theories to her large following.
Soon after Ensing shared her sponsored Sephora video, critics of her views began flooding the brand’s social media with outraged comments, questioning why they had partnered with the influencer.
The influencer, pictured with her boyfriend Rafael Maio in Trump sweaters, regular shares her political views online
Amanda Ensing, 29, claims she has been ‘silenced’ by makeup brand Sephora because of her political and religious views
She came under fire recently for comments in the wake of pro-Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6
#BoycottSephora even started trending online and the makeup brand claims to have then cut ties with Ensing.
Sephora responded to one user on Instagram, saying: ‘We were made aware that Amanda Ensing, an influencer contracted by one of our external vendors’ campaigns, recently shared content on social media that is not aligned with Sephora’s values around inclusivity.
‘As soon as we were informed, we made the decision to cease all programming with Amanda and will not be engaging her for future partnerships.’
Ensing and her followers have since fought back, claiming the company cannot claim to be inclusive while silencing conservative views and ‘smearing” her character.
She shared a video on Instagram on Sunday in which she called out the brand, saying she was ‘disgusted’ with her treatment.
Ensing said: ‘This is a video I never thought I would be having to make but the recent experience I’ve had with Sephora and what they did to me is not OK and I feel that I want to share my story and my truth and fill everyone in with what has happened.’
She said within hours of posting the video, she was asked to take it down by Sephora because of the online backlash.
Ensing shared a video on Instagram on Sunday in which she called out the brand, saying she was ‘disgusted’ with her treatment by Sephora
The company was immediately flooded with messages from customers who were outraged they had paired with the influencer
She said she has hired a legal team to fight her case and is demanding Sephora pay her for the video she made for them
She said: ‘Not only did they request I take it down they also are responding to comments about my political views smearing my character.’
Ensing then showed a clause in the contract she signed with the makeup brand in which they said her deal could be terminated for spreading hate speech or violence.
She had asked Sephora if her views would be protected, saying: ‘I have received hate from people due to my political ideologies for being conservative and also for being a Christian.
‘Political and religious beliefs are our American rights but it seems that they have not been treated this way lately. The brands that I have worked with do not care about my political or religious beliefs and I would need a guarantee that the advertiser in this case will uphold an influencer’s right to use their voice.’
Sephora replied: ‘Sephora and rewardStyle respect differing views and this would only ever be referenced in extreme situations such as violence or hate speech.’
#BoycottSephora even started trending online and the makeup brand claims to have cut ties with Ensing
The influencer now claims she is being silenced just because of her conservative views.
She said: ‘I have never done anything that is violent, I am not a violent person. I have never condoned violence and never will.
‘I am first and foremost a Christian, Jesus Christ is my lord and savior. I am secondly American and I am thirdly Latina. I am not racist, I am not homophobic, I am not a white supremacist, I am not part of some violent group.
‘It’s so weird. I only started being called these things by trolls on the internet after I came out as supporting our President, after I came out talking about my conservative views and my religious views. If you’re a conservative, you know what I’m talking about. We’ve been dealing with this for over a year now.’
The influencer claims in her 15-minute video seen by 900,000 people so far that other influencers have spread hate towards her but are not facing the same scrutiny and silencing
She said she has hired a legal team to fight her case and is demanding Sephora pay her for the video she made for them.
But she claims the makeup brand will only pay her if she signs a contract agreeing to stay silent about the controversy.
Ensing added: ‘They want to pay me if I’ll be quiet, if I stay silent, which seems to be a common theme with every conservative. I want you guys to realize what we’re going through as a nation right now. So now I shouldn’t get paid because of my political views?
‘People have mocked my religion, my faith my political views, smeared me, called me terrible names and I am none of those things, all because I think differently than them.
‘Is Sephora going to fire all of their conservative workers in their retail stores and their warehouses or upper management? How do you think all of your conservative customers and employees are feeling right now after seeing everything that you’re doing to me and how you’re speaking to me and about me online.’
‘The moment you think differently you’re not worthy to work or be represented by them. When did makeup become political?’
Many online have disputed Ensing’s version of events, saying she has been ‘canceled’ for spreading QAnon propaganda
The influencer claims in her 15-minute video seen by 900,000 people so far that other influencers have spread hate towards her but are not facing the same scrutiny and silencing.
She said: ‘What Sephora is doing is beyond disappointing and I don’t only speak for myself, I speak for conservatives as well. It’s beyond disappointing.
‘Do you think that conservatives don’t buy your makeup, don’t wear makeup, are we not worthy because you say we don’t align with your values of inclusivity.
To me, isolating millions of Americans because of their conservative political views from your store is the opposite of unity, the opposite of diversity.
‘I will not be silenced. I will always stand for truth and what’s right and stand firm in my faith and my beliefs.
Ensing promises to create her own conservative makeup brand where all values will be respected
‘If Sephora thinks that conservatives are part of a dangerous group, you don’t deserve a penny of our hard earned money. I will never support Sephora again.’
Ensing then promises to create her own conservative makeup brand where all values will be respected.
She said: ‘We will change the industry and we will create a space, at least on my platforms, that is inclusive and accepting of everyone despite your political, religious or personal beliefs.
‘No matter what side of the spectrum is on, to discriminate against someone because of their religious or political views is wrong. I am beyond disappointed, I am beyond disgusted in what Sephora has done and how they have acted and I will never support them again.’
MailOnline has contacted Sephora for comment.
