Piers Morgan facing major backlash after accusing Beyoncé of 'culturally appropriating' Marilyn Monroe

Controversial chat show host Piers Morgan has defended himself after being hit with criticism for accusing Beyoncé of 'culturally appropriating' Marilyn Monroe in a new advert.

After Sydney Sweeney made headlines for her American Eagle campaign showing off her 'great jeans', it's now Beyoncé's denim that's got people talking as she posed for a new ad for Levi's.

Shared to the brand's official Instagram page on August 5, the ad features the 'Who Run The World' singer posing in a bedazzled denim crop jacket with matching jeans.

Beyoncé has short, curly blonde hair in the photos, and rounds off her outfit with sparkling silver shoes.

The ad has received a lot of praise from fans, with one writing: "If these jeans will have me looking like this I need every pair," though some have drawn comparisons to Sweeney's advert, writing: "Team Sweeney."

Morgan, who hosts the show Piers Morgan Uncensored, joined the conversation when he shared his thoughts about the ad on X, formerly Twitter, writing: "Very disappointed to see Beyoncé culturally appropriate Marilyn Monroe in her new Levi’s ad."

Morgan isn't the only viewer to accuse Beyoncé of cultural appropriation in the ad, with others saying the same on Levi's Instagram. Cultural appropriation is characterized as when members of one culture use elements from another culture, which is often a minority, in a way that is considered disrespectful or exploitative.

But while Morgan may not be entirely alone in his view, many people were quick to disagree with him.

"This is an idiotic post. Just say you think she looks attractive and go," one person responded, as another added: "Marilyn Monroe is not a culture Piers."

A third simply commented: "Have a day off."

After being hit with criticism Morgan stepped up to defend himself, insisting he wasn't being serious in his post.

"I would say I can’t believe anyone took my obvious Beyoncé joke post seriously… but I forgot the woke brigade have zero sense of humour," he said.

He later followed up his original post with a photo of him posing with Beyoncé, alongside a red heart emoji.

Levi's has been working with Beyoncé since 2024, when it launched a collaboration with the pop star as part of a campaign 'inspired by the legacy of the Levi’s brand and the forward-thinking vision of one of the most influential figures of modern culture'.

In its announcement, the brand added: "In a series of chapters, the new campaign reinterprets several of the Levi’s® brand’s most iconic advertisements, bringing them into the modern era."

UNILAD has reached out to representatives for Beyoncé, Morgan and Levi's for comment.