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A Warning to Anyone Thinking of Photoshopping Lupita Nyong'o's Natural Beauty: She's Not Having It

The Oscar winner will not have her fabulousity erased.

By Adele Chapin Nov 10, 2017, 4:29 PM ET

After Show: Lupita on Red Carpet Questions

Lupita Nyong'o is the latest star to speak out against publications photoshopping natural features to reinforce outdated beauty standards. The Oscar-winning actress recently appeared on the cover of Grazia, a British fashion magazine — but she was very unhappy with the results. It seems the glossy photoshopped her ponytail out of the image, and Nyong'o had some photo proof to illustrate her case.

"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 wrote in a heartfelt Instagram caption.

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

It sounds like the hair change on the cover took her by surprise too. "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," Nyong'o said.

This is about so much more than hair, says Nyong'o, who has a track record for speaking up powerfully for what she believes in. "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," she wrote.

Grazia magazine responded with an apology to Nyong'o on Instagram, writing: "Grazia is committed to representing diversity throughout its pages and apologizes unreservedly to Lupita Nyong'o."