Women

Lupita Nyong’o Slams UK Magazine for Editing Her Hair

American-based Kenyan actress and Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has blasted U.K.-based magazine Grazia for editing out and smoothening her hair in a cover photo.

The seemingly angry Hollywood actress slammed the fashion and lifestyle magazine in a tweet on Friday, accusing it of editing her photo to suit an Eurocentric understanding of beauty.


The celebrated actress finished the tweet with a hashtag #dtmh, which stands for “Don’t Touch My Hair”, a title of a song by Solange, who was also recently embroiled in a similar row with another U.K-based magazine Evening Standard.

American singer Solange Knowles. Photo credit: E Online

The American singer and songwriter criticized the British magazine for editing her braided crown out of her hairdo on the magazine’s latest cover. The Evening Standard has since expressed its regrets for the mistake.

On the case of Lupita, Grazia issued an apology to her in a statement posted on Twitter, saying that it is committed to representing diversity throughout it pages. The magazine however insisted that it did not do the photo alterations itself.

“We apologize unreservedly for not upholding the highest of editorial standards in ensuring that we were aware of all alterations that had been made,” Grazia wrote.

Lupita also went on to express her disappointment on her Instagram page, insisting that she had not been consulted on the decision to edit her photo.

“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,” she wrote.

She however appreciated the magazine’s decision to put her on its cover page as an opportunity for her to show other black “kinky-haired people that they are beautiful just the way they are”.

But some people are not convinced that Grazia did anything wrong to edit Lupita’s photo.

Lupita’s social media outburst comes a few weeks after she accused a Hollywood tycoon, Harvey Weinstein, of sexually harassing her when she was still in college.

Fredrick Ngugi

Fredrick is a Kenyan journalist with years of experience in freelance writing. He worked as a web content writer for various local and international corporations including 4 Wheel Online, Web Partner Group, Wedding Services Kenya, and Decadent Daylilies. He is also an avid blogger, political commentator and human rights crusader.

Recent Posts

Meet Manika Gamble, who is now the first Black woman to complete Namibia’s 155-mile race

Manika Gamble recently made history as the first Black woman to complete a 155-mile, seven-day…

8 hours ago

How Tiffany Dean built a $45M brand without a bank loan: ‘That is not heard of as a Black woman’

Meet Tiffany Rose Dean; she is the founder of Hollywood Hair Bar, a $45 million…

8 hours ago

Lil Baby’s music video shoot was marred by gunshots with 3 people hospitalized

Lil Baby's music video shoot was marred by gunshots on Tuesday evening, leading to three…

10 hours ago

Georgia mom outraged after teacher combs out her daughter’s $150 locs

Micaela Varlack is extremely upset that her daughter's hair was changed without her consent by…

11 hours ago

74-year-old retiree who has lived in UK for nearly 50 years told he is not British

Nelson Shardey, a retired 74-year-old Ghanaian man who has resided in the UK for nearly…

11 hours ago

How Nigeria’s Tunji Balogun is turning Def Jam into destination for global black music after becoming CEO

Tunji Balogun runs the iconic Def Jam record label. He took charge of the company…

13 hours ago

The story behind Mary J. Blige’s golden boot that sold out in a day

Mary J. Blige has taken the footwear market by storm following the release of her…

14 hours ago

Georgia man accused of burning girlfriend’s body during argument over his secret marriage

Authorities in Georgia said a man fatally choked his girlfriend and the mother of his…

15 hours ago

Deaf teen from Nairobi slum makes waves in community ballet program

Gorrety Akinyi, a 17-year-old from Nairobi, Kenya, is thriving in a community ballet program despite…

15 hours ago

Alabama assistant principal arrested and charged in connection with decade-old triple homicide

An assistant principal in Alabama has been arrested and charged in connection with a triple…

16 hours ago

Whoopi Goldberg responds to Donald Trump after he tells her that nobody wants her

Whoopi Goldberg made her feelings known to Donald Trump after the former president took to…

16 hours ago

NFL rising star Kool-Aid McKinstry buys luxurious G Wagon for mom to celebrate her support

For Mother's Day, NFL rookie 'Kool-Aid' McKinstry decided to fill her mom’s world with joy…

1 day ago

Louisiana entrepreneur Iam C. Tucker honored as Biden’s ‘Small Business Person Of The Year’

The National Small Business Week awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., selected Iam C. Tucker of…

1 day ago

Social media goes agog after Instacart driver displays ‘last meal’ order to death row inmate

Chrishalea Farley, a 39-year-old Instacart driver from McDonough, Georgia, has become an internet sensation after…

1 day ago

‘What a blessing’: An emotional Mother’s Day reunion for mom who woke up from a 5-year coma

When Jennifer Flewellen woke up from a five-year coma in August 2022, her son Daeton,…

1 day ago