Grazia Photographer Apologizes For Photoshopping Lupita Nyong’o’s Hair

The photographer responsible for editing Nyong’o’s hair has issued a statement.

By kmvq on November 14, 2017

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

A few days ago, actress Lupita Nyong’o posted a criticism of Grazia’s choice to edit her hair on the cover of the magazine. She posted side by side comparisons of the edited and unedited versions.

View this post on 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. 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, 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

A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) on Nov 9, 2017 at 6:11pm PST

Grazia’s photographer, An Le, issued a statement to the Huffington Post, apologizing for the action:

“Though it was not my intention to hurt anyone, I can see now that altering the image of her hair was an unbelievably damaging and hurtful act. 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 colour throughout the different media platforms.”

Grazia UK also released a separate statement on Instagram apologizing to Nyong’o and saying that it had no part in the decision to photoshop the actress’s hair.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Grazia UK (@graziauk) on Nov 10, 2017 at 5:06am PST

Lupita Nyong’o has yet to respond.