Major sporting events often serve as a magical stage where everyday fans can transform into global phenomena overnight. However, the rapid fame brought by the digital age can disappear just as quickly as it arrived.
The prime example of this “cancel culture” phenomenon in sports marketing occurred during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Axelle Despiegelaere, a 17-year-old Belgian fan, went from a viral sensation to a professional model for L’Oreal, only to see her career collapse due to a single controversial Facebook post.
From the Stands to a Dream Contract with L’Oreal
The turning point for Axelle came during the Red Devils’ high-stakes Round of 16 clash against the USA in Brazil.
While Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku sealed a 2-1 victory on the pitch in extra time, Axelle was winning over the internet from the stands. Clad in Belgian colors, sporting devil horns, face paint, and pom-poms, her natural beauty caught the attention of television cameras and sports photographers.
Within days, her photos went viral across global sports forums and social media networks.
As her follower count skyrocketed into the tens of thousands, international cosmetics giant L’Oreal jumped on the trend. They quickly signed the Belgian teenager to an ad-hoc modeling contract.
Axelle was featured in a social media video campaign for L’Oreal Professionnel Belgium, and a career in the high-fashion industry seemed well within her grasp.
Axelle’s dream run came to an abrupt halt when internet sleuths began digging through her past social media activity.
A year-old photograph on her Facebook profile surfaced and ignited an immediate wave of outrage among animal welfare advocates and international fans.
The image depicted Axelle on a hunting trip in Africa, smiling while holding a rifle next to a dead gazelle.
The caption attached to the post added fuel to the fire: “Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It’s much more important than that … this was about one year ago … ready to hunt Americans today haha.”
What was likely intended as a provocative pre-match joke before the Belgium-USA game was widely condemned as distasteful.
With a boycott movement gaining traction online, L’Oreal faced an immediate public relations crisis.
As the backlash intensified, the beauty brand moved swiftly to protect its reputation.
A corporate spokesperson issued a statement announcing that Axelle’s run with the brand had concluded: “L’Oreal Professionnel Belgium collaborated with her on an ad hoc basis to produce a video for social media use in Belgium. The contract has now been completed.”
While the company did not explicitly cite the hunting photo as the reason for ending the collaboration, they heavily implied it by reiterating their corporate ethics.
The brand stressed that L’Oreal “no longer tests on animals, anywhere in the world, and does not delegate this task to others.”
Promoting a brand ambassador associated with big-game hunting was a direct contradiction to their global animal welfare stance.
Today, the 28-year-old has left the world of professional modeling and media scrutiny behind.
She maintains a private yet steady digital presence with nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram.
Axelle is now married to professional kite surfer Emile Steyaert, a sport she frequently participates in herself.
The couple expanded their family with the birth of their first child, Raphaelle. Axelle regularly shares updates of her quiet family life, travels, and sporting adventures with her followers.
Her story remains one of the internet’s earliest and most vivid examples of how rapidly a digital footprint can build—and break—a career in the modern influencer age.