North West's Fake Tattoos Spark Parenting Debate

Kim Kardashian’s 12‑year‑old daughter North West posted videos on the joint @kimandnorth TikTok showing a temporary “grunge” look — blue braids, colored contacts, a black grill, henna, layered chains, prominent fake face tattoos (a star under one eye and script on her cheek) and faux piercings — captioned “Fake piercings and fake tatts 4 life,” with comments disabled. The clips, which show North and friends on a private jet and backstage at a concert, reignited online debate over whether the style is age‑appropriate, with reactions ranging from alarm and criticism of Kim’s parenting to defenses noting the tattoos and piercings are temporary dress‑up. Kardashian defended allowing North to experiment in an interview with Alex Cooper, saying she’s “still learning” as a mother, won’t strip away her daughter’s creativity and acknowledged past choices she regrets (such as the Rome corset outfit). The resurfacing of Kanye West’s past objections to North’s social posts and wider scrutiny of celebrity parenting amplified the reaction. News outlets framed the episode as a cultural flashpoint about preteen self‑expression, social media exposure and parental boundaries in high‑profile families.