Kerry Washington Unhappy With Heavily Photoshopped ‘ADWEEK’ Cover

The magazine industry is having a tough week.

First, Amy Schumer took to social media to air her grievances with “Glamour” after she was included in its “Plus-Size” edition—now actress Kerry Washington is doing the same with “ADWEEK.”

Kerry Washington, displeased with her image on the cover of “ADWEEK,” called out the magazine on April 5 for altering her image to a point where she could barely recognize herself.

“I have to be honest…I was taken aback by the cover,” said Washington in a captioned photo of the cover in question on Instagram. “It felt strange to look at a picture of myself that is so different from what I look like when I look in the mirror. It’s an unfortunate feeling.”

 

So…You know me. I’m not one to be quiet about a magazine cover. I always celebrate it when a respected publication invites me to grace their pages. It’s an honor. And a privilege. And ADWEEK is no exception. I love ADWEEK. It’s a publication I appreciate. And learn from. I’ve long followed them on Twitter. And when they invited me to do a cover, I was excited and thrilled. And the truth is, I’m still excited. I’m proud of the article. And I like some of the inside images a great deal. But, I have to be honest…I was taken aback by the cover. Look, I’m no stranger to Photoshopping. It happens a lot. In a way, we have become a society of picture adjusters – who doesn’t love a filter?!? And I don’t always take these adjustments to task but I have had the opportunity to address the impact of my altered image in the past and I think it’s a valuable conversation. Yesterday, however, I just felt weary. It felt strange to look at a picture of myself that is so different from what I look like when I look in the mirror. It’s an unfortunate feeling. That being said. You all have been very kind and supportive. Also, as I’ve said, I’m very proud of the article. There are a few things we discussed in the interview that were left out. Things that are important to me (like: the importance of strong professional support and my awesome professional team) and I’ve been thinking about how to discuss those things with anyone who is interested, in an alternate forum. But until then…Grab this week’s ADWEEK. Read it. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for being patient with me while I figured out how to post this in a way that felt both celebratory and honest. XOXOXOX

A photo posted by Kerry Washington (@kerrywashington) on Apr 5, 2016 at 2:46pm PDT

As did the editor of “Glamour” magazine to Schumer, the editorial director of “ADWEEK” responded to Washington.

Editorial director James Cooper posted on Twitter that he was saddened by Washington’s response to the cover. According to Cooper, he “added volume to hair for dramatic effect” and meant “no disrespect.”

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This isn’t the first time the “Scandal” star was deemed unrecognizable on a magazine cover. In the 2013 December/January edition of “Lucky” magazine, Washington’s facial features appeared different—narrower eyes and lighter skin.  

Chika Dunu

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