GENEVA (AP) — Swiss watchmaker Swatch apologized Monday for an ad campaign that upset consumers in China and elsewhere and said it had “immediately removed all related materials worldwide.”
In an image for the Swatch Essentials collection, an Asian male model is shown pulling the edges of his eyelids upward and backward with his fingers — a gesture seen as derogatory and racist, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.
The image triggered criticism on social media in China, with major influencers weighing in.
Swatch wrote on Instagram that “we sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.” It said it would “treat this matter with the utmost importance.”
SRF reported that the apology was also posted on the Chinese social network Weibo in Chinese and English.
China is a major market for luxury brands and watchmakers. The founders of Dolce&Gabbana apologized on video in 2018 after Chinese boycotted its products over what were seen as culturally insensitive videos promoting a runway show in Shanghai.
Swiss watch exporters are facing new tariffs in the U.S. and a prolonged slowdown, with significant declines in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong, according to industry association figures.
FILE - The logo of Swiss watchmaker "Swatch" is pictured on the Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris, France, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, file)
Comedian Amy Schumer says she and her husband, chef Chris Fischer, have decided to end their marriage.
Schumer, an actress, author and writer, announced the planned split in a social media post on Friday.
“Blah blah blah Chris and I have made the difficult decision to end our marriage after 7 years,” Schumer wrote. “We love each other very much and will continue to focus on raising our son. We would appreciate people respecting our privacy at this time.”
“Amicable and all love and respect! Family forever.”
Schumer and Fischer were married in February 2018 in Malibu, California. Their son was born in May 2019.
The two starred together in the Food Network show “Amy Schumer Learns to Cook” and the HBO mini-series “Expecting Amy” that documented her difficult pregnancy.
Schumer has also said her Hulu dramedy “Life & Beth” is semi-autobiographical and inspired by her marriage with Fischer.
Schumer was essentially launched as a movie star in the 2015 Judd Apatow-directed “Trainwreck.” She has showcased her stand-up comedy prowess on tour and in streaming TV specials.
Earlier this year, she acted in and co-wrote “Kinda Pregnant,” in which she portrayed a baby-mad single woman who fakes a baby bump.
She has been an advocate for awareness of endometriosis, which caused her to need her uterus and appendix removed in 2021.
Fischer won a 2016 James Beard Foundation book award for American cooking for “The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook: A Year of Cooking on Martha’s Vineyard.”
FILE - Amy Schumer and husband Chris Fischer attend the premiere of Netflix's "Kinda Pregnant" at The Plaza Hotel in New York, Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP File)
