Meghan McCain takes aim at North West’s look as the teen pursues music, creativity and a ‘regular job’

The former “The View” co-host questioned the decision to feature the 13-year-old in the edgy magazine shoot.

Meghan McCain has made her feelings about North West’s latest magazine cover clear — and the reaction has opened a broader conversation about celebrity children, parenting and a teenager’s right to figure out who she wants to be.

McCain reacted to North’s “Dazed” cover, which features the 13-year-old with blue hair, bold makeup, piercings and a grill. “This poor baby. My heart just breaks for this child,” McCain wrote in a since deleted post on X.

After some interpreted the comment as mocking North, McCain clarified her position, saying she felt “terrible” for the teenager and believed “that kind of magazine cover” was inappropriate for a child.

I was not mocking. I feel terrible for her and believe that kind of magazine cover is no place for a child. Don’t twist it. https://t.co/fhP9KdzA9S— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) August 25, 2026

But there is another part of this story worth considering: What does North actually want?

In the same “Dazed” interview that sparked the controversy, North discussed her ambitions as a musician and creative. She released her debut EP, “N0rth4evr,” earlier this year and has already performed publicly. She has also spoken about fashion and self-expression, including her interest in piercings.

North’s parents, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, have reportedly established boundaries around some of those choices. North told “Dazed” that she wants a bridge piercing, for example, but her parents have not allowed it.

And then there is perhaps the most unexpected ambition of all.

North said she wants to work at Starbucks when she turns 14 because she wants to experience having a “regular job.”

For a teenager born to two of the most famous people in entertainment, that desire for something ordinary is notable. North is growing up with extraordinary access, but she is still a child trying to develop her own identity, albeit in front of millions of people.

McCain’s criticism inevitably puts attention on the choices made by North’s famous parents. But it also raises a larger question: When does concern for a celebrity child become public judgment of that child?

North’s blue hair and magazine cover may be up for debate. So are Kim and Kanye’s parenting choices. But underneath all of it is a 13-year-old telling the world who she hopes to become.