Haters gonna hate! Ashley Graham is responding to the accusations that she was Photoshopped for Maxim‘s April 2016 issue.
“I’m beyond proud to be the first curvy woman on the cover of Maxim,” Graham, 28, shared in a statement. “I was not slimmed down on the cover, and [photographer] Gilles Bensimon did an amazing job capturing my true figure in all of the photos.” (You can also see unedited B-roll from the shoot in the video below.)
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Saying all she needed to say on the topic, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model then turned the conversation to the importance of embracing diversity. “This is another major advancement for curvy women, especially those who work in the fashion industry who are working hard to get the recognition they deserve,” she said. “I now encourage more publications and designers to put more diversity on their covers and runways. Let’s continue to show that beautiful bodies come in different sizes and they should all be celebrated.”
Graham released the statement two days after she revealed the cover shot via Instagram. Within hours, she had hundreds of comments, some of which accused the magazine of slimming down the plus-sized model. “Definitely photo shopped,” one wrote. “That is unfortunate after everything you stand for Ashley.. your curves are gorgeous and Maxim should not have minimize who you are…shame on them!”
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Another added, “A shame they photoshopped her to appear slimmer. They should have left her be. What’s the point of featuring a plus size model on the cover if they’re just going to make her look like the generic girls you see on their magazine.”
Nevertheless, plenty supported the model. “How did it feel to be on the cover of Maxim?” asked one fan. “I’m so happy you’re part of the movement and an advocate for beauty that comes in different sizes, shapes, and colors.”
