Recently Lupita Nyong'o featured on the cover of Grazia magazine in the November issue. But Lupita felt hurt and prejudice rather than feeling happy.
The reason for her disappointment was not trivial, but it was of grave concern. According to the model, her hair in the picture was altered to fit 'Eurocentric' notions of beauty.
Lupita Took to Twitter and Instagram to Express Her Disappointment
No doubt Lupita Nyong'o is a brilliant and successful model but she is also an equally talented actress. Born and raised in Kenya, Lupita has grown more popular than many of light-skinned actresses over the years.
Also read: Who is Lupita Nyong'o Dating? Or is the model single? Know all the details right here
[ CAPTION: Lupita at the premiere of the movie, the Last Jedi ][ SOURCE: Instagram ]Gone are times when light skin was thought to be beautiful and everything. As a matter of fact, many actresses in Hollywood are proud of their skin color. Lupita also loves her skin color.
She even delivered a speech On February 27, 2014, how black women are all beautiful.
So imagine the emotions that raged within her when she saw her picture published in Grazia magazine different from the original. The editor had removed the frizzy hair tied back so that the model fit a Eurocentric notion.
The 34-year-old model hence reacted by putting the pictures of her after and before editing on Instagram, with a caption.
[ CAPTION: Lupita Nyong'o's picture before and after editing on the cover of Grazia magazine][ SOURCE: Instagram ]As I have made clear so often in the past with every fiber of my being, I embrace my natural heritage and despite having grown up thinking light skin and straight, silky hair were the standards of beauty, I now know that my dark skin and kinky, coily hair are beautiful too.
Furthermore, she also took to Twitter stating her discontentment with the magazine straightforward.
[ CAPTION: Twitter ][ SOURCE: Twitter ]This should have sent the message loud and clear.
An Le Apologized For Having Altered Her Image
Ultimately, An Le the photographer responsible for the incident apologized Nyong'o telling that there is no excuse. The Vietnamese photographer based in New York further admitted,
My altering of her image was not born out of any hate but instead out of my own ignorance and insensitivity to the constant slighting of women of color throughout the different media platforms.
[ CAPTION: Lupita Nyong'o][ SOURCE: Dailymail ]Not only the editor of the magazine but officials representing Grazia also asked for the Last Jedi actress forgiveness themselves.
[ CAPTION: An Le and the photographer, An Le ][ SOURCE: Dailymail ]According to their statement, they apparently did not request the photographer to alter the picture. They added,
Grazia is committed to representing diversity throughout its pages and apologizes unreservedly to Lupita Nyong'o.
Previously the magazine also repeated the similar mistake with the image of the singer, Solange Knowles. Lupita Nyong'o is an active philanthropist apart from being an actress and model.