'I kept mum to protect my own': Maria B breaks silence on influencer payment controversy

Pakistani designer Maria B has finally broken her silence after days of online backlash over an influencer payment dispute, and she’s taking the matter to court.

In a video posted on Instagram, Maria B addressed the issue directly, sharing her side of the story and defending her team.

Her caption read, “I was quiet for a reason... but now that we are going to court... here you go.”

The designer revealed that a junior team member, a new PR girl, was handling communications when the misunderstanding happened.

“One of these influencers reached out, said she loved our brand, and wanted to collaborate,” Maria B explained in her video. “I handed over the conversation to a young team member. A mistake was made. A couple of hundred dollars were involved, but it was never about not paying. It was just a delay.”

She added that the influencer also kept a pair of clothes, and clarified that no one from her team ever refused to pay.

“We work with thousands of influencers. Do you really think we couldn’t pay a few hundred dollars?” she said. “My team even reached out and asked the influencer not to make it public, but she posted a video anyway.”

Maria B said she chose silence to protect her employee, who was already under immense pressure from the backlash.

“She’s human, she made a mistake. I wasn’t going to throw her under the bus,” she added.

Earlier, influencer Türkan Atay had accused Maria B of unprofessional behaviour and non-payment after a shoot in Turkey. She claimed she was paid a lump sum despite clearly stating she charged per dress, as she was covering all location costs herself.

Türkan later posted screenshots of their conversation and alleged that Maria B deleted her messages to avoid accountability.

“Why didn’t you pay our money? Why delete the chats?” Türkan asked in her response video.

Maria B’s brand had released a now-deleted statement saying: “There was a misunderstanding, but the influencer chose to make a defaming reel instead of resolving the matter in a meeting.”

The controversy didn’t stop there. Many online users and activists, including Leena Ghani, criticised Maria B for hiding behind public causes while neglecting ethical business practices.

“Speaking up for Palestine while silencing and exploiting a Turkish creator that’s hypocrisy,” Leena posted.

With the issue possibly heading to court, Maria B’s response has stirred even more debate. While some fans support her, others believe it’s time big brands take real accountability.