In the new images, which are being used to re-promote her latest album, 4, Beyoncé is seen laying seductively across a leopard print couch, honey-blonde hair pinned up in curls, wearing a black crocheted bodysuit that shows off her noticeably paler skin.
Born to an black father, Mathew Knowles, and a Creole mother with African, French and Irish ancestry, Tina Knowles, Beyoncé has always had fair skin, but in these new ads, the singer’s skin looks as though she’s lost a bit of melanin in photo editing, making her look nearly Caucasian.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that Beyoncé and a few other stars have had their skin lightened for an ad or promotional image. Check out five other controversial skin-lightening scandals below. – nicholas robinson
