Six months after being fired from Deciem (the troubled parent company of skin-care up-and-comers the The Ordinary), former co-CEO Nicola Kilner is back at the company. She confirmed the news to Women’s Wear Daily, telling them she was “happy, excited, and grateful.”
In February, Deciem founder Brandon Truaxe let go of Kilner, a former Boots buyer, and several other high-level Deciem executives. In an email statement to Racked at the time, he explained that they were “terminated” because they did not “subscribe to [his] peaceful values.”
Following her departure, Kilner told elle.com, “I still don’t fully understand what happened.” She later theorized that Truaxe let her go because she disapproved of his rogue Instagram posts, specifically the time he used the app to publicly inform a dermatologist collaborator, Dr. Esho, that Deciem would be severing the partnership. Dr. Esho was not notified ahead of time. Days later, Kilner was no longer with the company. In a subsequent “open letter” posted on the Deciem site, Truaxe appeared to call her “stupid” for alleging that he was on drugs.
True to form, Deciem posted about Kilner’s return on Instagram. In a picture of Kilner and Truaxe smiling together, the caption reads, “Our co-worker is back—but never behind. We love you, @nicolalkilner. You’ll always be our only 🐌—and always stronger than any 🐅 can ever hope to be or become. 🧡💛🌕😜.” Commenters were thrilled, with many calling it the “best news.” As Kilner once said, she would return to Deciem in a heartbeat — “no qualms” — if they asked.
