Skepta has expressed outrage after 13-year-old North West, daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, was swarmed by male attendees at Paris Fashion Week. The rapper described the behaviour as 'sickening' and called for better protection of children.
What happened at Paris Fashion Week
North West, who was attending the event as a young musician, was met by crowds of fans and photographers. In a widely circulated video, the teenager extended her hand for a handshake, but an adult man instead leaned in and pulled her into a hug. Other images showed North looking uncomfortable as a grown man posed with his arm draped over her shoulder.
Skepta's reaction on X
Skepta, 43, shared the video on X with the caption: 'A blind man could see she wanted a handshake.' He followed up with a post saying: 'My fans know I try to stay out of peoples business but damn the way grown men, complete strangers, try to use North makes me sick,' adding four puking emojis.
When a user named uglymannyy asked if hugging was 'a social offense,' Skepta replied: 'What are you talking about?! She is 13 years old and she put her hand out for a handshake, you don’t ignore that. I can’t believe some these replies to my tweet.'
Another user claimed North had 'basically skipped being a teenager' due to facial piercings, prompting Skepta to write: 'WOW!! ? Protect your kids people. Protect your kids!' In his final post, he called the incident 'sickening' and added: 'Schools teaching French, German & English when really the language most people need to f*****g learn is “Body Language.”'
North West's background and career
North is the eldest of four children Kanye West shares with ex-wife Kim Kardashian. She was born in 2013, a year before her parents married in 2014. Her siblings are Saint (born 2015), Chicago (born 2018 via surrogate), and Psalm (born 2019 via surrogate). Kim filed for divorce in 2021, which was finalized in 2022. Since then, Kim has dated Pete Davidson and Lewis Hamilton, while Kanye married Bianca Censori in 2022.
North has pursued a music career, releasing her debut EP N0rth4evr in 2026. In 2024, she performed 'I Just Can’t Wait to Be King' at The Lion King 30th Anniversary event at the Hollywood Bowl, a performance that received mixed reviews. Kim Kardashian said on Kardashians: 'Kanye and I want the best for the kids and so anytime we’re here supporting our child, it’s always good vibes.'
Kanye West's controversies and apology
Kanye West has faced backlash for antisemitic comments, including a song titled 'Heil Hitler' and selling swastika T-shirts. He has praised Hitler, opposed abortion and gay marriage, supported gun rights, described slavery as 'a choice,' and endorsed Donald Trump. In a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal titled 'To Those I’ve Hurt,' he apologized, attributing his behaviour to a 25-year-old accident that caused 'serious damage' to his mental health and led to a bipolar diagnosis. He said he 'lost touch with reality' and 'gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.' Later, he told Vanity Fair he is 'not a Nazi or an antisemite.'
