Kat Von D Is Out At Her Makeup Company — & Will No Longer Be Involved “In Any Capacity”

Kat Von D is officially stepping away from her longtime makeup brand, Kat Von D Beauty. The company, which was founded by Von D 12 years ago, has been completely acquired by Kendo and is, effective immediately, rebranded and renamed as KVD Vegan Beauty. 

“This past year has been one of great change for me," the tattoo artist and entrepreneur wrote in a public statement. "As many of you know, I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy, launched my vegan shoe line, and am now busy prepping to release my long-awaited album in the Spring, followed by an international tour! As much as I wish I could balance all of this, on top of continuing my makeup line, it has become clear to me that I just can’t do everything at the maximum capacity."

As a result, Von D has sold all of her remaining shares to Kendo, its existing parent company, and formally resigned from her role. In a company press release, the brand stated that while Von D pursues her artistic endeavours, she will no longer be involved with the brand "in any capacity."

Von D's role in the company has long been controversial due to rumours surrounding her personal beliefs — namely that she allegedly has a history of anti-Semitism. She was also criticised for comments that were interpreted by many to promote the anti-vaxxing movement in 2018. Von D addressed those rumours in a YouTube video last March. "Just to set the record straight from the beginning, I am not anti-Semitic and I am not an anti-vaxxer," she said, before detailing her side of the story. Still, many fans weren't convinced and continued to boycott the brand as a result. Fans have already started writing on Twitter since the news broke to say they are looking forward to purchasing products "guilt-free" after her departure.

With Von D out, KVD Vegan Beauty will continue to offer its existing product range, and will now release new innovations under Kendo. “We are fully positioned to continue the brand’s growth and development in both product and marketing," David Suliteanu, Kendo CEO says. "We have developed a very strong product pipeline for 2020 and beyond. The same Kendo team that made history with KVD Vegan Beauty is ready to do it again.” 

Von D wrote on Instagram to share the news with her followers, adding that during her tenure, she felt she was able to create a line that made outsiders feel like they had a "place in the beauty world." She also expressed confidence in Kendo for carrying the KVD legacy. The brand did not respond to our request for further comment.