14 DAY TRIAL // While she's spending time at home with her first born, daughter Blue Ivy Carter, Beyonce is again at the eye of the storm, following the release of a new photo meant to re-advertise her latest album, “4.”
The photo, which you can also see attached to this article (cropped and flipped), shows Beyonce before she became pregnant, sporting blonde hair and the flimsiest of flimsy bathing suits.
She's also rocking bright red lips and appears to be at least a few shades whiter than she actually is.
While Beyonce might not be personally responsible for the choice to appear whiter, she's the one who's accused online of sending the wrong message to all Black women.
The Daily Mail is leading the pack of those who say that, as a Black singer, she should own it and make sure she didn't approve promo materials that would make others think otherwise of her color.
Celebrity bloggers agree, with most of them saying that the woman in the picture doesn't even resemble Beyonce in real life, let alone look like her.
Whether post-production, lighting or Bey's PR team is to blame for this, no one knows just yet.
“Experts told The Sun the appearance may have been down to lighting used in the studio. However this is not the first time the wife of rapper Jay-Z has accused of appearing to 'lighten' her skin,” the Mail writes.
Indeed, it's not the first: L'Oreal was accused of whitewashing her in one of their ads, but she also came under fire one year ago, when she dyed her hair blonde and, for a while, seemed to have lighter skin – or so the tabloids claimed at the time.
“It has been alleged that in the early days of award-winning band Destiny’s Child her father Mathew Knowles had persuaded her to use skin treatments to remain the lightest-complexioned member of the successful girl group,” the Mail writes, further adding fuel to the fire.
“And some commentators have expressed fears, that these images of the superstar singer – who is famous for her honey-toned hair and complexion, could have the effect of making darker-skinned black girls ashamed of how they look,” adds the tab.
As the controversy rages on, Beyonce and her team are keeping mum on the issue.