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Beyonce Skin Color: Accused of Lightening Face in Photos

Columbia

Looking lighter than usual in photos being used to promote her latest album, last year's '4,' Beyonce has raised concerns that she is trying to play down her natural skin color.

While pregnant women are sometimes anemic, and anemia can leave sufferers looking pale, the controversial new photos were taken before the 30-year-old pop superstar was with child, the Daily Mail reports.

In the shots, Beyonce sports blonde locks, red lipstick and a crocheted, barely-there outfit while reclining on a leopard-print couch. Her complexion is rather fair, but as experts told U.K. newspaper the Sun, it could be the result of studio lighting.

Or it could be something more sinister. In 2008, the cosmetics company L'Oreal was accused of lightening Bey's skin tone in advertisements, and last year, after the 'Love on Top' creator was spotted on the street looking particularly white, writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown charged Beyonce -- the daughter of a black father and mixed-race mother -- with "betraying all black and Asian women."

In a letter to the Daily Mail, Alibhai-Brown wrote, "Too many black and Asian children grow up understanding the sad truth that to have dark skin is to be somehow inferior."

Beyonce has not commented on the controversy, perhaps because the only color on her mind these days is Blue Ivy -- the name of the daughter she and husband Jay-Z welcomed earlier this month.

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526 Comments

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KerryC

Does anyone know what happens to a photography subject when you use flashes, flipping huge studio lights & screen reflectors? Just take a wild guess... sigh! Anyhoo, why isn't anyone flipping out like a wet hen over the obvious photo-shopping that was done to make her look all sorts of angular & pointy, stick-figure-esque? Welp, back to improving the world; one well thought out, yet sassy, comment at a time.

January 20 2012 at 6:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Judy Landis

When Beyonce first came on the scene she was absoolutely a gorgeous beauty. Perfect golden tan skin, great voluptuous figure, fabulous showmanship, using her mother as her costumer, and projecting a beautiful soul when she sang. IMO, she has morphed as most celebrities do, becoming less classy-looking, choosing ultra- sexy, provocative see-thru short costumes, and suggestive choreography. She is an extremely talented, lovely woman who has "gone Hollywood" (think Madonna, Lady Gaga, etc.) as she gained fame and fortune. I for one would like to see photo shopping stopped in publicity shots and magazine photos, showing stars looking natural and serving as role models for young people who are seeking to build confidence and self esteem. I wish Beyonce all the best in raising her new little baby.

January 20 2012 at 8:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Heather

Someone had to go to the 1940's pics, also change everything about her. Very origional....NOT...lol

January 19 2012 at 9:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
albert

Bouncy, beautiful...? hardly. not impressed.

January 19 2012 at 4:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RVFLSLVB

Why is this such news???? Who cares???? So she was air brushed! Duh!!! They did the same with Lohan in Playboy because the pics were so bad.... They are all airbrushed and the pics were made in this manner for the effect. My gosh people/media get a life!

January 19 2012 at 12:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
dust8sky

ehh.. there are more important things in this world to worry about.

January 18 2012 at 10:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to dust8sky's comment
albert

exactly

January 19 2012 at 4:40 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Felicia Thomas

Btw, I think Beyonce looks like herself. She looks gorgeous. She's always been light-skinned, so that adds to the stupidity of the story.

January 18 2012 at 8:45 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
Felicia Thomas

I'm a black woman and I know I've taken pictures where the light or camera flash totally washes me out. Also, I grew up in the South. So I was always lighter in the winter and darker in the summer. I get tan lines and I gotten sunburn also. Now, that I live in Boston I stay lighter because the winters are even harsher than in the South. It's stupid to say that black people will not look lighter or darker, based on the same conditions as everybody else. I see celebrities of all races looking lighter or darker, based on the same factors. This story is so stupid and should be a non-issue.

January 18 2012 at 8:43 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Felicia Thomas's comment
diane2

Thank you for providing facts, sensibility and a voice of reason to this non-issue. I agree with you that the story is stupid and insulting to thinking people.

January 18 2012 at 9:55 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
stricklyblessed

Please leave the superstars alone...............

January 18 2012 at 6:26 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
lgarza11

SHE'S BEAUTIFUL EITHER WAY.......GIVE IT A REST! SHE'S MARRIED TO A BLACK GUY...........DUHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!. IF SHE REALLY CARED ABOUT SKIN COLOR.......IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS--MY DEARS--SHE CHOSE WHATEVER SHE WANTED. IT'S NOT A RACIAL ISSUE.

January 18 2012 at 12:55 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply

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