Miley Cyrus’ jewelry line jettisoned from Walmart

Whether you know her as Hanna Montana or as Billy Ray Cyrus’ daughter, Miley Cyrus is a major draw for the burgeoning tween market. Her image sells everything from school supplies to bedding and DVDs. Earlier this week, Walmart yanked her Chinese made jewelry line from their stores due to a report by the Associated Press (AP) that found high levels of cadmium in some items.

The AP went after Walmart back in January and claimed the trinkets they sold from the Disney flick “The Princess and the Frog” had high levels of cadmium. The items were made in China and many believed that cadmium was simply a replacement for lead, which unlike cadmium is heavily regulated in the United States. Under pressure, Walmart stopped selling the items.

The AP’s latest test focused on DIY bracelet kits and Miley Cyrus jewelry, a line created by the star and BCBGMaxAzria. The items tested by the AP found that cadmium made up almost 90% of the jewelry by weight.

Cadmium isn’t all that harmful to people unless the heavy metal is digested, such as if a child places a piece of jewelry in their mouth. Small doses can cause flu-like symptoms while larger ones can cause abdominal discomfort and even liver damage.

Walmart pulled the Miley Cyrus jewelry line shortly after the AP report and put their special spin on the situation. Even though they knew the line contained the heavy metal beforehand, they claim that the baubles are “not for children” and are intended for an “older audience.” Cyrus’ relationship with Disney and the Hanna Montana brand hasn’t exactly gone after anyone outside the age of 11.

This incident is yet another hit against Miley Cyrus and her attempts to market herself as a green celeb. Cyrus extolled the virtues of green living in her song “Wake Up America” with the following lyrics:

The Earth is calling out / I wanna learn / What it's all about / But everything I read / Is global warming / Going green / I don't know / What all this means / But it seems / To be saying / Wake up America / We're all / In this together / It's our home / So let's take care of it / You know that you want to / You know that you got / To wake up America

It seems that Ms. Cyrus is in dire need of a wake up call herself and has learned nothing from the scandal surrounding Kathie Lee Gifford and her apparel line at Walmart. Gifford reportedly had no knowledge of the sweatshops that constructed her line and soon became a crusader to combat similar working conditions. Perhaps Miley can skip a few TV appearances to make sure that she’s educated about her endorsements and their impact on the health of her fans and the environment.