Lupita Nyong’o is upset over Grazia magazine’s decision to retouch and edit out her natural hairstyle.
The actress graced the cover of the British fashion publication’s November 2017 issue, where she appears with a shaved head. According to a set of images shared by Lupita on Instagram, her hair was actually styled in a loose afro ponytail for the photo shoot.
Nyong’o expressed her disappointment, writing Thursday, “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.”
“Grazia is committed to representing diversity throughout its pages and apologizes unreservedly to Lupita Nyong’o,” a rep for Grazia U.K. told E! News in a statement Friday. “Grazia magazine would like to make it clear that at no point did they make any editorial request to the photographer for Lupita Nyong’o’s hair to be altered on this week’s cover, nor did we alter it ourselves. But we apologies unreservedly for not upholding the highest of editorial standards in ensuring that that we were aware of all alterations that had been made.”
The Kenyan-Mexican star, 34, continued, “Being featured on the cover of a magazine fulfills me as it is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children, that they are beautiful just the way they are. I am disappointed that @graziauk invited me to be on their cover and then edited out and smoothed my hair to fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like.”
“Had I been consulted,” Lupita concluded, “I would have explained that I cannot support or condone the omission of what is my native heritage with the intention that they appreciate that there is still a very long way to go to combat the unconscious prejudice against black women’s complexion, hair style and texture. #dtmh”
The Oscar winner is passionate about diversity, and is a strong advocate for the success of marginalized communities in Hollywood.
In a 2016 interview with Vogue, Nyong’o shared, “There are certain cards that have been dealt me that I take on. I want to create opportunities for other people of color because I’m fortunate enough to have a platform to do that… Being able to use my platform to expand and diversify the African voice, I feel very passionate about that. It feels intentional, meaningful.”
Source: Eonline
