Kylie Jenner sparked a wave of criticism on Sunday night in New Jersey, after fans watched the reality star kiss boyfriend Timothée Chalamet in the VIP section at the World Cup final, only days after the death of her grandmother Mary Jo 'MJ' Shannon.
The 28-year-old The Kardashians star is still publicly in the early stages of grieving, at least on paper. Kris Jenner announced on Thursday 16 July that her 91-year-old mother MJ had died, calling her 'the heart of our family' in an emotional Instagram tribute. Kylie followed with her own post of throwback photos with MJ and sister Kendall, reflecting on her grandmother's legacy.
So when the youngest Jenner surfaced at MetLife Stadium at the weekend, laughing, cuddling, and kissing Chalamet on camera, some viewers decided the tone jarred badly.
World Cup Kiss Steals Spotlight From the Pitch
The World Cup final itself was already a circus. Lionel Messi on the pitch, Spain and Argentina battling it out, and a VIP gallery stacked with names that usually guarantee headlines on their own: Donald Trump, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Tom Cruise. Yet somehow, the Kylie Jenner World Cup moment muscled its way to the top of the online conversation.
Footage shared on social media showed Jenner and Chalamet tucked into the VIP area, chatting closely and sharing a lingering kiss as the match played out below them. The clip is brief, and frankly pretty tame compared with some celebrity PDA, but it was enough to set off a torrent of comments.
NEW 📸|July 19 - Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet at the World Cup Final match at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey. pic.twitter.com/KRnd8URuM3
— kkjenners.updates (@kkjennersupd) July 19, 2026
NEW 📹|July 19 - Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet at the World Cup Final match at the MetLife stadium in New Jersey. pic.twitter.com/u3PYx5QfPU
— kkjenners.updates (@kkjennersupd) July 19, 2026
Jenner opted for a semi-casual look, wearing capri trousers and a long-sleeved top with a plunging neckline, paired with low heels and sunglasses she kept on throughout the game. Chalamet, who has become a regular fixture at her side at major events, leaned into full sports-fan mode in a blue Adidas sweatshirt, matching sweatpants and white trainers.
It was not their first time turning a sporting fixture into date night. The pair have previously been spotted kissing in the stands at other high-profile games, something that has already prompted mild eye-rolling from parts of the internet. This time, the mood was noticeably sharper.
Backlash Over Grief, Timing and 'Performative' PDA
Online criticism built quickly around two main threads: whether Kylie Jenner should have been more visibly in mourning, and whether the couple's PDA is just too much now, full stop.
'Didn't her grandmother just die? Guess the cameras are more important,' one user wrote bluntly, reacting to the viral footage.
Another critic on X complained that Jenner looked 'a little too happy knowing her grandma just left the map,' before asking, 'Isn't she supposed to be in mourning?' A different comment urged her to 'go home and mourn your grandma,' as if grief can only be properly expressed off-camera, in private, and preferably off the VIP balcony.
A little too happy knowing her grandma just left the map
— Basen (@basenasianboy) July 19, 2026
Some viewers were less focused on the family bereavement and more fed up with the couple's behaviour at public events. 'Why the f-ck do they kiss every time when there is a camera... nobody cares who you are,' one person posted, summing up the impatience some fans now feel with celebrity couples who treat every major fixture as a soft-launch opportunity.
The tone of the reaction, particularly on X, was consistently critical. You did not have to scroll far to find someone accusing Jenner of insensitivity or performative happiness.
Neither Kylie nor Chalamet has addressed the backlash publicly. There has been no statement from the Kardashian-Jenner camp beyond the original posts mourning MJ's death.
Timothée Chalamet's Own World Cup Moment
Lost in the noise around the Kylie Jenner World Cup kiss was the fact that Chalamet also had an official role in the night's proceedings. According to reports, the Dune and Marty Supreme actor was asked to deliver the match ball before kickoff.
Video of Timothée Chalamet delivering the ball at the World Cup Final. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/XL7vb6n6rC
— timothée chalamet nation (@timotheenation) July 19, 2026
Video from the stadium showed him walking out from the tunnel, ball in hand, and placing it on a stand to loud cheers from the crowd. For a known sports fan who had supported France at the semi-finals, it was a neat, if slightly surreal, crossover moment: Hollywood lead, football mascot, viral boyfriend.
On another night, that would have been the main story about the pair's World Cup appearance. Instead, it became a footnote to the grief-versus-glamour argument raging online.
A Pattern of Scrutiny for the Kardashian-Jenner Clan
In case you missed it, Kylie is not the only member of her family being policed for how she handles MJ's passing. Kim Kardashian faced her own backlash earlier in July after posting bikini photos from a Fourth of July celebration with family and friends just after news of the matriarch's death became public.
'Didn't your grandmother just pass? This couldn't wait [until] the weekend?' one follower commented, accusing her of insensitivity.
Kim responded quickly, explaining that the post had been scheduled days before MJ died. She wrote that she had been by her 'mom and grandma's side this past week' and that her heart was 'completely with my family right now.' She added that they would be focusing on 'celebrating her beautiful life' in the days ahead.
That explanation calmed some critics, but not all. Because this is the Kardashians, and people have strong feelings about how they live their lives, right down to their Instagram queue.
What the latest flare-up underlines is how tightly fans believe they can, and should, police the family's emotions. Public grief from famous people is treated almost like a group project: there is, in the eyes of the internet, a correct way to do it, and any deviation looks suspect.
Whether that expectation is remotely fair to a granddaughter watching football with her boyfriend is another question entirely.
