Gwyneth Paltrow confirmed the suspicions of many of her fans and critics on Wednesday night when she revealed her shockingly expensive Goop diaper was fake.
The 49-year-old actress-turned-entrepreneur posted an Instagram video on Goop revealing that the ridiculous diaper, said to be selling for $120 for a 12-pack, was a protest against diaper taxes in all United States.
The Oscar winner pointed out in her passionate clip that 33 states tax diapers as a “luxury good,” rather than avoid the tax by treating them as an essential item.
Raising awareness: Gwyneth Paltrow, 49, revealed Wednesday on Instagram that Goop’s ridiculous $120 diaper was actually a PR stunt to highlight “luxury” taxes on diapers in the US
Gwyneth appeared in her video wearing a black top decorated with beautiful floral patterns in orange, green, and red, and she wore her blonde hair parted in the middle.
After updating his followers on the diaper, he said it was “good” that the product sparked outrage.
“It was designed to screw us over,” he said emphatically. “If treating diapers as a luxury drives you crazy, you should also tax them as a luxury.”
The Royal Tenenbaums actress confirmed that it was a “fake product intended to shed light on a real problem”.
Pricy: “It was designed to screw us over,” she said of the opulent diaper. “If treating diapers as a luxury makes you angry, taxing them as a luxury should too.”
Luxury tax: ‘Despite the absolute necessity of diapers, in 33 states they are not treated as an essential item. They are taxed as a luxury good,’ continued Gwyneth
‘Despite the absolute necessity of diapers, in 33 states they are not treated as an essential item. They are taxed as a luxury good,’ Gwyneth continued.
He referenced a study by the Huggies Foundation and the National Network of Diaper Banks, which found that one in three families struggles to afford diapers.
She added that getting rid of the ‘diaper tax’ would not completely solve the problems families have finding affordable diapers, “it could allow many families to pay for another month’s supply.”
In her Instagram caption, Gwyneth explained where the outrageous ‘$120’ price tag came from: ‘We priced our dummy diapers at $120, because that’s what the diaper tax could cost families annually.’
On Goop’s website, the brand wrote that diapers were the “fourth highest household expense among low-income families,” citing Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides diapers and other necessities to families in need.
The organization added that requests for diapers have increased by a staggering 505 percent during the pandemic, which has been exacerbated by national shortages.
Gwyneth urged her supporters to donate to the organization to fund its advocacy efforts to end taxes on diapers and help buy them for families.
Explanation: In her Instagram caption, Gwyneth explained where the outrageous ‘$120’ price tag came from: ‘We priced our dummy diapers at $120, because that’s what the diaper tax could cost families annually.’
The original wellness and lifestyle brand shared photos of her highly impractical ‘Diaper’ on Instagram on Wednesday, just days after Paltrow spoke out against diapers being taxed as a luxury item on CBS Sunday Morning.
Goop’s disposable diapers certainly looked luxurious thanks to their fleece lining, amber-colored fasteners, and the brand’s trademark ‘G’. They also cost a whopping $120 for a pack of 12.
Meet The Diaper. Our new disposable diaper lined with virgin alpaca wool and studded with amber gemstones, known for their age-old emotional cleansing properties. Infused with a scent of jasmine and bergamot for a revitalized baby, the product description says.
Pulling your leg: Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop announced the launch of her luxury diaper line on Instagram on Wednesday, but some people were convinced it was a spoof
Moment: Goop shared photos of its highly impractical ‘Diaper’ just days after Paltrow, 49, spoke out against diapers being taxed as a luxury item on CBS Sunday Morning (pictured)
The new diaper line was supposed to drop tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST, according to the post, which had many Instagram users scratching their heads.
“Is it April Fools’ Day?” one person asked, while another added: ‘Is this an SNL parody?’
‘It has to be a joke,’ someone else insisted. ‘Although you never know with GOOP.’
Goop is known for promoting an unusual and expensive range of products, including a $15,000 gold-plated dildo, for which some felt the diapers were branded for the company.
‘OMG, stylish moms need to be even more stylish and out of touch!’ one person complained.
Have fun: disposable nappies are lined with virgin alpaca wool and fastened with amber gemstones, which are ‘known to have ‘ancient emotional cleansing properties’
Hype: The diapers also ‘infuse a scent of jasmine and bergamot for a revitalized baby’. Diapers are $120 for 12
Nailed it: Instagram users didn’t know what to think, but many insisted it had to be a joke. Others pointed out that Paltrow has spoken out against the diaper tax and it’s likely a gimmick.
‘Are you kidding?! I have no words,’ shared another. ‘Why not donate to a worthwhile organization instead of underserved mothers and children? Made with Goop!’
However, some others insisted that the release lampooned how diapers are taxed as a luxury item in more than half the states in the country.
“Gwyneth was on CBS Sunday Morning talking about her privilege of never having to worry about the cost of diapers and how they are taxed as luxury items in 33 states,” one woman noted. ‘So [she] He asked viewers to go to GOOP for more information. She probably intended to draw his attention to raise awareness of the issue.
‘goop [has] been speaking out and urging the US government to eliminate the tax on diapers; they are currently taxed as luxury items in 33 states,’ someone else wrote. “This is satire to raise awareness.”
Speaking: “Despite the absolute necessity of diapers, they are taxed as a luxury good in 33 states,” Paltrow explained in her prerecorded segment that aired on CBS Sunday Morning this week.
No worries: Paltrow, who has a daughter, Apple, 17, and a son, Moses, 17, admitted she never had to think about the cost of diapers when her kids were babies.
Paltrow shares two children, Apple, 17, and Moses, 16, with her ex-husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, and has changed many diapers in her day.
In a prerecorded segment that aired on CBS Sunday morning on Mother’s Day, the mother of two spoke about motherhood and the financially crippling effect the diaper tax has on low-income families.
“I never had to think about the cost of diapers, not once, until recently when my team at Goop brought it up,” she said. We were talking about the diaper tax. Despite the absolute necessity of diapers, in 33 states they are taxed as a luxury good.
‘Depending on the state, this sales tax can add between 1.5 and 7 percent to your cost. This makes diapers the fourth highest household expense for many low-income families.’
Paltrow urged people to head over to Goop for more information, but so far there doesn’t appear to be any information on the site.
Three days later, her brand announced the release of ‘The Diaper’, leaving fans with no choice but to wait until Thursday to see if the line is real or a catalyst for further discussion.
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