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Beyoncé's Ivy Park Responds to Rumors of Exploiting Factory Workers, Paying 63 Cents an Hour

The company has been accused of operating a sweatshop.

A month ago, on April 14, Beyoncé entered the fashion world in a new way with the launch of her latest business endeavor (save for her new album Lemonade and her Formation world tour, of course)  — her highly-anticipated Ivy Park sportswear line

The clothing line, which she co-owns with British fashion mogul Sir Philip Green, has experienced its fair share of harsh criticism since it found its way into TopShop stores. The latest claim, as made in a new investigative piece by British tabloid The Sun, has taken things to a new level, claiming that the Ivy Park operation is forcing laborers to work in inhumane conditions.

The report claims that the workers manufacturing her athletic clothing line work up to 60 hours a week, earning $6.17 each day. The Sun reports that the inhumane conditions are taking place at the MAS Holdings factory in Sri Lanka.

If the claims were true, it would cost workers more than a month’s worth of salary to be able to afford some of the luxury items in the line.

Representatives for the brand have since responded to these allegations, releasing a statement reading, “Ivy Park has a rigorous ethical trading program. We are proud of our sustained efforts in terms of factory inspections and audits, and our teams worldwide work very closely with our suppliers and their factories to ensure compliance.”

Additionally, a report in Women’s Wear Daily shares that the MAS factory, which also is home to production for Speedo, Nike and Patagonia, pays workers more than double the Sri Lankan minimum wage, therefore further showcasing that The Sun's allegations about shockingly low wages were not true.

It would be very out of character for Bey to ever fall out of formation, so hopefully the allegations continue to prove false as time goes on.

More on this story as it develops.

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