Changing the color of one’s skin is nothing new in the U.S. when you consider the popularity of tanning booths, spray tans and sun bathing. Just last week Patricia Krentcil, 44, was arrested in New Jersey for reportedly bringing her 6-year-old daughter to a tanning salon. The mother, whose UV ray addiction is apparent when you consider her leathery skin, was looking to darken her skin tone and achieve a healthy glow.
And while that plot has failed miserably and the mom is now a blood orange hue, other people in the U.S. and around the world are striving for the look women like Krentcil left behind.
Before her tanning exposé, Krenticil could have been the inspiration for African singer Mshoza who has spoken openly about consulting three dermatologists to help her bleach her skin. The singer made headlines this year for a Drum magazine article where she stated that she was ‘tired of being ugly’ and wanted to be ‘Christina Aguilera white.’
“It is just something that I wanted to do,” said the singer. “It has nothing to do with my esteem and issues with being black. It’s just sad that people with weaves and all other cosmetic enhancements to make themselves look western are on high horses judging me. I just wanted a lighter skin. Our parents have been burning themselves with skin lightening creams for decades. It was never made an issue about self-esteem and race. People must calm down.”
While Mshoza is arguably the most open and clearly the most disturbed, she’s not the first celebrity to be accused of bleaching, check out other celebs accused of lightening their skin below.
