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L’Oreal’s World Cup fan revealed as a big-game hunter

10:37 11/07/2014

Axelle Despiegelaere, the 17-year-old Belgium World Cup fan who won a modelling contract with L'Oreal after being spotted cheering in the crowd, has been revealed as a fan of big-game hunting.

Despiegelaere, whose family is from Izegem, but lives in the Tournai, was photographed cheering the Red Devils in the group match against Russia and her image spread across the internet.

But her public success may be short-lived after she posted a picture on Facebook posing with a rifle and a dead animal in Africa. “Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that,” she said on her Facebook page. By Thursday, after being inundated with outraged comments, she had deleted her Facebook account.

L'Oreal has not responded to the revelations, but it is keen to promote its image of animal welfare, and in 2012 the company donated $1.2 million to the US Environmental Protection Agency to help improve the testing of safe chemicals.

In the photo that scored Despiegelaere her contract she was wearing red, yellow and black face paint and a horned hat at the match in Brazil. The pictures quickly went viral and appeared in newspapers across the world, launching her new career. On Tuesday, she announced her decision to accept a contract modeling for L'Oreal and even posted a video of her trying out their hair products. Before deleting her Facebook account, she had accumulated 230,000 ‘likes’.

Written by Leo Cendrowicz

Comments

acsonline

Who would be smiling so much about killing? Psychopathological my dear girl ! Hope you get Gaia to comment - and fast !

Jul 11, 2014 12:11
bertrand

Dear Leo,
I read many things about this... But look like you do not have the right information.
The facebook account was not official. She never posted this pictures on facebook. The FB was close because the people who created did not have any rights to publish information.

Jul 11, 2014 12:29
Isabella

Whether she posted them or not, she is an animal killer and L'Oreal should terminate her contract. Stupid girl !

Jul 11, 2014 12:53
Mimi

“Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that.” She is right. For her it is the thrill of the taste of blood.

Jul 11, 2014 14:41
kokostan

Hypocrites! First of all, I do not support hunting and I do not encourage it at all.

But all of you, who cry over poor animals, have you ever wondered how the burger in your hand was made? How the cows/chickens/pics are treated since the day they were born until they are sacrificed? How much space they have to breath, to eat, to live? Have you ever wondered how are the moments before they are sacrificed and squeezed in the cans you are buying in the supermarket?

Yes, it looks like a violent death, but at least it's a fast one after a life they might enjoyed in the wild. Which death do you think it's better?

And last, but not least ... have you wondered how the animal population is regulated in national parks? when one specie tends to overgrow and crowd the space? organized hunting (and paid, of course) ladies and gentlemen!

So, if this was done completely legal and the animal did not suffer ... I can live with it. You should to.

Jul 11, 2014 17:12
tralala1

In the meantime L'oreal cancelled the contract with her.

Jul 11, 2014 17:42
tralala1

Ok kokostan, I agree and then this awful inhuman dogs and cats trade in China, amongst other things. That people get upset about this is good. In this way you can draw the attention to other bad animal practises. Every little bit helps and awareness is important.

Jul 11, 2014 17:45
tralala1

BTW all blood sports should be bannend for very good reasons

Jul 11, 2014 17:46
acsonline

Apparently she is not even a huntress and it was all some sort of a pun involving football. A little in poor taste let’s say, young and foolish “playing with fire”… So come down from the ceiling you guys : no harm has been done!

Jul 11, 2014 17:58