Vanity Fair Under Fire for February Lupita Nyong'o Photo

Was the 30-year-old Kenyan’s skin deliberately lightened? Or was it a matter of too-bright, washed out lighting? That’s the debate raging on Twitter and the Web after Vanity Fair on Wednesday shared a sneak peak of a shot of 12 Years a Slave co-star Lupita Nyong’o featured in the February issue “Vanities” section.

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At press time, two-thirds of respondents to a Huffington Post Black Voices poll feel that yes, the magazine did this deliberately. There does not currently appear to be any official statement of response from the Condé Nast publication.

The matter is making headlines not just here but also in Nyong’o’s native Kenya and the UK.

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