Already have an account?
Get back to the

Kerry Washington’s Skin Color on InStyle Cover Has Fans Up in Arms, Magazine Responds

 

Kerry, is that you?

Kerry Washington looks a little different on the latest cover of InStyle magazine, and although the March 2015 cover star's entirely wrinkle-free appearance is one thing, it's her fair skin color which has fans talking.

Related: PHOTOS: Photoshop fails

The Scandal star shared her cover image with fans via Instagram late Wednesday, Feb. 4, but her big unveil was met with very mixed responses.

"Glad you made the cover kerry, but this isn't right. I'm sorry. It's not. Don't let them do that to you," one disapproving follower replied, while another chimed in: "Why is she white in this picture."

As the talk turned to outrage, InStyle decided to address the issue, putting out a statement on its website on Thursday, Feb. 5, explaining the reason for Washington's fairer-than-usual appearance, but denying they had lightened her skin during photo editing.

"While we did not digitally lighten Kerry's skin tone, our cover lighting has likely contributed to this concern," the mag explained. "We understand that this has resulted in disappointment and hurt. We are listening, and the feedback has been valuable. We are committed to ensuring that this experience has a positive influence on the ways in which we present all women going forward," they added.

Related: PHOTOS: Celebs without makeup

Happy with the explanation, Kerry directed fans to the magazine's website via Twitter.

"Beautiful statement. Thank u 4 opening this convo. Its an important 1 that needs to be had," she wrote.

This isn't the first time that Olivia Pope's alter ego has faced criticism over her magazine cover photos. In 2013 a photo of her in Lucky magazine was thought to be way over-edited by fans.

Tell Us: What do you think about Kerry's latest InStyle cover?

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!