Photographer Involved in Balenciaga's 'Gimp Teddy Ad Campaign' Reports Death Threats

The photographer, Gabriele Galimberti, reportedly said that the vast majority of the threatening messages he received came from the United States.

A photographer involved in the controversial Balenciaga advertisement campaign has complained about receiving death threats.

Gabriele Galimberti took the pictures of children holding purses designed to look like teddy bears in bondage gear. He, however, was not responsible for taking the image that featured a US Supreme Court opinion on child pornography as a prop in a separate ad campaign.

Galimberti told media that since the two ad campaigns were frequently shared on social media together, it apparently produced an assumption that he was involved in both of them.

He informed a British newspaper that he has been receiving messages like “we know where you live,” “we are coming to kill you and your family” and “you have to kill yourself, f*cking pedophile,” with the majority of these messages allegedly originating from the United States.

The photographer also reportedly said the kids who were carrying the purses in question in the shoot were the children of Balenciaga employees who escorted them, and that the parents did not raise concerns about the accessories.

“When they saw those bags, everybody was telling them they were punk. Nobody ever mentioned BDSM,” he told the newspaper.

Galimberti also reminisced about how he previously got accused of being a “crazy Democrat that hates guns” and that he was prepared to defend himself against that accusation.

“But when you are accused to be a pedophile? How can you defend yourself?” he inquired.