Lupita Nyong'o calls out magazine for Photoshopping her hair
"I am disappointed that @graziauk ... edited out and smoothed my hair to fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like," the star said.
By Annie Martin
1 of 3 | Lupita Nyong'o slammed Grazia U.K. in a post Thursday after her image was altered on the publication's November cover. File Photo by John Angelillo/Instagram | License Photo
Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Lupita Nyong'o is calling out a fashion magazine for Photoshopping her hair.
The 34-year-old actress, who is of Kenyan heritage, slammed Grazia U.K. in an Instagram post Thursday after her image was altered on the publication's November cover.
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"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," Nyong'o wrote.
"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," she said.
"Had I been consulted, 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 star added, using a hashtag for "don't touch my hair."
A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on
Grazia U.K. responded by apologizing to Nyong'o in a tweet Friday.
"Grazia is committed to representing diversity throughout its pages and apologizes unreservedly to Lupita Nyongo'o," the magazine said.
"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," the publication added. "But we apologize unreservedly for not upholding the highest of editorial standards in ensuring that were aware of all alterations that had been made."
Nyong'o is known for the films 12 Years a Slave and Queen of Katwe. She also voiced Maz Katana in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and will reprise the role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.