Internet slams Kim Kardashian’s Tesla photoshoot as anti-Musk protests gain momentum

In a time when many are actively distancing themselves from Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian seems to have done the exact opposite—jumping headfirst into the fire. And as expected, when you get too close, you’re bound to get burned.
The reality star and entrepreneur recently appeared as the cover star for Perfect Magazine’s upcoming issue, featuring a sleek, Tesla-themed photoshoot. The images, captured by renowned photographer Steven Klein, included Kardashian posing in the bed of a Cybertruck and getting up close with a Tesla robot on a Malibu beach.

She proudly shared the futuristic spread with her massive 357 million Instagram followers on Friday, but the reaction wasn’t exactly what she may have expected. While Perfect Magazine noted that the shoot actually took place back in November 2024, a lot has changed since then—especially when it comes to public sentiment surrounding Musk.
People in the comment section left nothing to the imagination when it came to criticizing Kim for her proud association with tech mogul. One user said in the comment section said, “Never buying skims(her brand) again. I’m kinda sick to my stomach rn.” Another commented, “Say you are a trumper with out saying you are trumper.”
A third said, “@stevenkleinstudio @kimkardashian Imagine having unlimited resources, a global platform, and the power to influence millions—only to use it to glorify a billionaire actively making life worse for so many. This isn’t just tone-deaf; it’s a deliberate choice to align with greed, exploitation, and performative excess. With everything happening in the world, this is what you find worthy of celebration? Embarrassing.”


For Musk, the past 10 days have been anything but good. Tesla, his flagship company, continues to struggle as its value drops, with investors growing increasingly nervous about a potential trade war, economic uncertainty, and shrinking profits. At the same time, protests against Musk’s influence in the government have been gaining momentum across the U.S., with an uptick in vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles and a growing social stigma surrounding the brand.
On the other hand, SpaceX has had a turbulent week as well. One of its rockets dramatically exploded midflight last week, raising concerns about the company's ambitious plans. Then, on Wednesday, a critical rescue mission to retrieve "stranded" astronauts was abruptly delayed, only for another attempt to be made two days later. Social media platform X too faced major outages.
All this has led to Musk losing about $119 billion this year alone, as per The Guardian, though he still holds a staggering $100 billion lead over the next richest person in the world.