Mental health

Bioré Apologizes After Using TikToker Who Survived School Shooting to Promote Pore Strips

Viewers felt the inclusion of a school shooting in a skincare ad was insensitive and "dystopian"

A woman using a pore strip.
Getty Images

Skincare company Bioré and influencer Cecilee Max-Brown have apologized for a recent partnership post after backlash over the video's references to a school shooting.

Max-Brown posted a sponsored TikTok on Thursday in support of Bioré's campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month. In the video, she shared her experience with anxiety after going into lockdown on campus during the shooting at Michigan State University in February.

She also showed off a box of Bioré pore strips and encouraged viewers to "get it all out, not only what's in your pores but most importantly what's on your mind, too."

"I found myself recently struggling from seeing the effects of gun violence firsthand," Max-Brown said in the video. "I've had to intentionally set aside time for prioritizing my mental health. I will never forget the feeling of terror that I had walking around campus for weeks in a place I considered home."

The partnership video went viral on TikTok and Twitter, sparking backlash from viewers.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

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