Lupita Nyong’o (pictured left) may be America’s “African sweetheart,” but it seems like she may have just rubbed some people the wrong way. One such person is her own African sister Dencia (pictured).
RELATED: Lancome Signs Lupita Nyong’o As Newest Ambassador
Last week, Face2Face Africa reported that Nyong’o signed a mouth-watering deal with Lancôme, establishing herself as the beauty brand’s first Black ambassador.
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This new development sparked yet another broadside from Nigerian-Cameroonian pop star Dencia who tweeted:
“But they sell bleaching cream tho RT @IamNappyBaby: @IamDencia b—h lupita is the new face of Lancôme!! SHE WINS!! And you’re just TRASH [sic],” Dencia tweeted Friday.
The cream Dencia may be referring to is Lancôme’s Blanc Expert, which is described on the company’s website as “the latest brightening technology designed to regulate melanin production and awaken the luminosity of the skin.”
Meanwhile, Dencia’s Whitenicious, a controversial skin-whitening cream, promises similar results, however, the product has been slammed for ads that depict the pop star with extremely light skin, which does not accurately reflect her real appearance.
In several social media outbursts, Dencia has repeatedly criticized “12 Years a Slave” star Nyong’o, after the actress name checked her company during an acceptance speech.
In the speech, Nyong’o described a letter she had received from a young girl who had been contemplating using Whitenicious at the Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards in February. The actress said the girl cited her (Lupita) as an inspiration not to go through with lightening her skin.
I want to take this opportunity to talk about beauty. Black beauty. Dark beauty. I received a letter from a girl and I’d like to share just a small part of it with you: “Dear Lupita,” it reads, “I think you’re really lucky to be this Black but yet this successful in Hollywood overnight. I was just about to buy Dencia’s Whitenicious cream to lighten my skin when you appeared on the world map and saved me.”
My heart bled a little when I read those words. I could never have guessed that my first job out of school would be so powerful in and of itself and that it would propel me to be such an image of hope in the same way that the women of ‘The Color Purple’ were to me.
Nyong’o’s speech shed light on the inferiority she once felt as a child because of her dark skin color. Now a Hollywood “It” girl, she exudes nothing but pride in her skin tone and encourages all girls to do the same.
However, Dencia was unimpressed with Nyong’o’s message and took to Twitter to mock her statements and the acclaim the actress has earned thus far.
“Every year the Oscars use 1 black scape goat 2 fool blacks 2 support them,this is ur year, next year another black person get over urselves[sic],” one of Dencia’s awards season tweets read.
“& oh @Lupita_Nyongo cln’t talk abt the bleaching creams white people (Companies) make cuz the white man pays her, they own her!![sic]” she later said.
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RELATED: African Singer Dencia Encourages Skin Bleaching With ‘Whitenicious’?
