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Jeffree Star Cosmetics commented on a model's "blackface" photo and the internet is livid
13 September 2019, 14:48
"My job was to make a statement and I did just that."
Blackface stopped being a thing a very, very long time ago but it appears a lot of people still haven't got the memo. An LA-based model named Ashley Love is catching some heat for darkening her skin for a photoshoot.
READ MORE: This is why blackface for Halloween is racist
READ MORE: White women are being exposed for 'posing' as mixed race and the internet is pissed
Earlier this week, Ashley Love shared an image from a recent photoshoot on Instagram. In the image, Ashley is wearing braids and her skin is considerably darker compared to her other images, including her palms.
She captioned the controversial photo: "I wanted to try something new and test out my versatility. Some may be triggered some may not but this is more of an appreciation post to my Melanin Queens. For those who want to call it blackfishing you’re blind. I am mixed, my mom is white and my dad is black, Learn to love the skin you are in regardless of what colour you are!" Er, right…
To make matters worse, the makeup artist responsible for this look Nichole Ray captioned the images "Dripping melanin & honey" and "Artists are here to disturb the peace" , which left people thinking she knew exactly what she was doing.
The posts received a lot of backlash in the comment section and on Twitter. Like, if the whole shoot was themed on owning your dark skin could they not have…hired a dark-skinned model?
where are all the “it’s just a bit of fake tan” fiat 500 merchants because I want to see what they have to say about this pic.twitter.com/qY0RH7GoC0
— amme (@aebxo) September 10, 2019
Here’s the post I was talking about . I get trying to show appreciation to dark skin women but this is NOT the way to do it . The mua could’ve just hired a model with a darker complexion !!! pic.twitter.com/gsmX2UOCdO
— ♡TyraJanea♡ (@tyraajaneaa) September 10, 2019
This is Ashley Love
— A 💖 (@ashakiiii) September 12, 2019
She said she isn't blackfishing or blackface because she's biracial 🤦🏼♀️and that is art. Also she said she's showing love/appreciation to her melanin queens 🙃. pic.twitter.com/OYNdndHrNW
you can always tell it’s blackface from the look of their palms 😭 pic.twitter.com/4bbeZDDviW
— september (ฅ＾・ﻌ・＾）ฅ (@ApriISald) September 11, 2019
It’s basically 2020 I have NO sympathy for people who still does black face & gets dragged to fifth it’s what they deserve https://t.co/jh4O3lKbN4
— Brown Suga 🐯🦎✨ (@NiaraRenee) September 10, 2019
Well shit the model really said she wanted to test out her “versatility” with confidence😷I don’t get why some mixed women fail to see that we benefit from white privilege like HOW can you reclaim being dark when you are, and always have been, half white and light skin?!🥴
— JODIE MARIE MAKEUP (@jodiemariemua) September 10, 2019
“Showing appreciation” to dark skinned women by hiring a fair skinned model is not showing dark skinned women appreciation, let’s start there. This is inexcusable and once again, draining. This is why dark skinned models aren’t being paid as much as the Gigi’s and the Kendall’s. https://t.co/BrgpIemSz5
— MANNY 🤴🏾 (@THECLASSICMANNY) September 10, 2019
To make matters worse, Jeffree Star's makeup brand Jeffree Star Cosmetics reportedly commented on the photo posted on the makeup artist's page. The comment read: "Wow," alongside two heart emojis.
If you'll remember, Jeffree Star has a long history of problematic and racist behaviour towards black women. Although he's apologised for his comments in the past and now calls out brands who are not versatile with their shade range, it's probably not the post to comment on.
Jeffree Star no doubt has a social media team who runs his cosmetics line's page but he hasn't commented on the whole mess just yet. However, Ashley Love has now apologised for any offence caused.
Racist Gucci Star proving again how much his "apology" is worth. Blackface is Jeffree Star approved everyone. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/9T9E7Lt3QH
— Ellimeli (@ellinara3) September 11, 2019
"I'm saying this for the last time and the last time only," she wrote on her Instagram Story. "I apologise for those who feel offended but if I was out here trying to please everyone then I wouldn't be happy myself. I thought what I did was beautiful!
"You guys try to separate us lighter skin individuals as if we're not black too and it's honestly heartbreaking. My job was to make a statement and I did just that. I still love each and every one of you, I respect every opinion. I see you and I hear you loud and clear but at the end of the day not everybody is going to like what you do and that's okay. I still got love for y'all."
