Social media sensationKat Clarkstepped up to defend her 13-year-old daughter,Deja, after the teen’s recent red-carpet look became a hot topic online.
The Australian mother-of-two, known for her relatable family content and massive TikTok following of 6.7 million, co-hosted the2024 TikTok Awardsin Sydney alongside Robert Irwin last week.
Joining her at the star-studded evening were her husband Jonathan and daughters Latisha, 20, and Deja, whose bold outfit quickly stole the spotlight.
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Kat Clark stepped in to defend her 13-year-old daughter, Deja, after her bold red carpet outfit sparked online debate
Image credits:kat_clark_
Image credits:katclark
Deja’s ensemble—a midriff-baring two-piece paired with furry boots—was a tribute to South African pop star Tyla’s iconicWaterperformance.
While many praised the teenager’s confident nod to pop culture, others were far less complimentary.
Fans on Instagram called the look “teen pop perfection” and applauded her for representingTyla.
“Deja’s outfit is giving Tyla,” wrote one fan, while another said, “She represented Tyla soo well.”
On the other hand, critics called it “str*p club” attire and labeled it “inappropriate.”
“She’s 13 and needs to cover up,” said one harsh critic, while another wrote, “Sorry but as a mother I would never have let my 13 year old daughter wear that outfit. There are so many creeps out there and it just wasn’t appropriate at all.”
“I think it’s crazy she’s 13 dressing like that for award shows,” read one comment.
Another said, “(13) year old’s shouldn’t be dressing like that.”
Some netizens criticized the mother-of-two and deemed her teenage daughter’s outfit “inappropriate”
Image credits:more.dejankat
“I love Tyla, she inspires me to be myself, she’sSouth Africanlike me, we have the same skin colour, she always shows her natural hair and I wanted to do the same,” the teenager toldnews.com.au.
“I saw her wear this outfit and I just wanted to wear it to feel confident in myself too. And I did,” she added.
Kat staunchly defended her daughter’s fashion choice and urged people to “be nice instead ofmean girls.”
“It’s actually quite sad seeing so many women dragging other women down who are just trying to do their best,” the influencer said in a video posted after the event.
“I love Tyla, she inspires me to be myself, she’s South African like me, we have the same skin colour, she always shows her natural hair and I wanted to do the same,” the teenager said after the award show
“Not just bringing women down butbringing teenagers downtoo. So many people had a problem with Deja’s outfit and it just blows my mind,” she went on to say.
“I never have and I never will control what my children choose to wear,” she added. “One of my main roles as a parent is to make my children feelconfident in their bodies.”
“A lot of people have their opinions on how I parent my children and I understand there are different parenting styles, but to have an onslaught of strangers sharing their opinion on my daughter’s outfit just blows my mind,” she told news.com.au this week.
The content creator said she grew up in a “strict”home with a lot of rulesand didn’t want her children to feel the need to lie to her like she sometimes had to.
“I was brought up in a strict household where I had a lot of rules around everything, including what I wore and that did not lead me down a positive path and I always felt like I had to lie,” she told the outlet.
Kat revealed that the Tyla-inspired outfit was modified to suit Deja and urged critics to stop tearing down women and teenagers online
Image credits:tulleaddict
Image credits:HojasLive
The Gold Coast influencer said people who are still upset about her daughter’sred-carpet outfitshould “get over it.”
“I actually had the original design altered into a skort and we also added more frills at the back to give her more coverage. Teenagers wear shorts and crop tops all the time, especially on the Gold Coast,” she continued.
The 13-year-old daughter aspires to be a model someday, with her mother proudly supporting her ambitions
The proud mother said Deja wants to be a model someday, and for now, the teenager has asocial media accountthat she will continue to share with Kat until she’s old enough.
“Deja is doing great. Deja is a happy girl, we have a great relationship and we always talk about how she might be feeling,” the TikTok star said.
“She wants to be a model one day and she understands not everyone will always like her outfit choices,” she added.
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