Beyoncé seems to be the latest victim of celebrity photo leaks, according to reports. Footage from what appears to be a L’Oreal ad shoot show the “Flaws and All” singer pre-Photoshop magic and retouching. In the images, she wears a bold red lip, smokey shadow and her signature blonde tresses pulled back. Shots of her face are magnified, showing the typical blemishes and bumps in every human’s skin.
“@actuallyCR: Beyoncé unphotoshopped pictures have been leaked 😩 pic.twitter.com/xhvCnD2yOj†it’s called being a human ðŸ’ðŸ’
– Sophie Stockton (@sophie_stockton) February 19, 2015
The Beyoncé World, a fan site dedicated to the popstar, posted photos in an effort to show that her beauty is not determined by photo editors and graphic artists. Their plan backfired, however, when members of the BeyHive swarmed together in outrage and demanded that the raw images of their Queen be removed. The Beyoncé World has since taken down the photos and released the following statement:
“Due to the disdain of the BeyHive, we have removed the photos. We don’t want to cause any drama, nor do we wish to start fan wars. Some of the things we have seen posted were just horrible, and we don’t want any parts of it. We were just posting the photos to share the fact that our queen is naturally beautiful, at the same time she is just a regular woman.”
It has yet to be revealed from where the website retrieved the photos.
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The leak is at a time where there is much discussion surrounding unrealistic beauty standards and the resulting pressures women feel to subscribe. Just last week, an unrefined lingerie photo of Cindy Crawford made its way to the web. The supermodel shots from a 2013 Marie Claire México y América Latina cover story stirred a compelling conversation, much of which was fans praising the timeless beauty for her natural womanhood. The magazine stated, “No matter where the photo came from, it’s an enlightenment–we’ve always known Crawford was beautiful, but seeing her like this only makes us love her more.”
At her documentary premiere one week before the leak, Crawford actually said, “I really think–at any age–it’s learning to be comfortable in your own skin… What makes you the most attractive is self-confidence. That’s what people see.” A notion we all know to be true but somehow lose sight of in the mix of airbrushed blemishes and vanished cellulite.
The leaked photos of Beyoncé and Cindy Crawford only prove that the most celebrated women are just like those whose names the world will never know. Amid the fueling controversy, women and young girls can find rest in knowing that celebrities don’t even look like celebrities and we’re all #Flawless as we naturally are.
See what Halle Berry had to say on cosmetic surgery and beauty pressures here, plus check out our interview with Empire star Serayah and her message to young girls on body-confidence.