STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Lupita Nyong’o Calls Out Magazine For Cropping Her Natural Hair Off Of Their Cover

The ‘Black Panther’ star didn’t hold back.

Women of color have been extremely vocal about their struggles with having their images altered in print publications. Academy-award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is the latest A-lister speaking out against the publishing industry and their blatant mistreatment of women of color.

Posting a collage of her three photos to Instagram, Nyong’o opened up about how her initial cover of Grazia UK was altered without her permission. “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,” she began.

Frustrated that her natural hair was cropped out in favor of a style closer to “traditional beauty standards,” Nyong’o 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, 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,” she concluded.

Nyong’o’s use of the #dtmh hashtag was a nod to songstress Solange Knowles who recently experienced a similar offense. Just last month, Knowles called out Evening Standard Magazine for cropping her braid out of her cover with the mag.

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.