Ashley Graham Responds to ‘Maxim’ Photoshop Rumors
Graham on Maxim, and in a recent photoshoot for Addition Elle lingerie. Photos: @theashleygraham/Instagram
Here we go again.
It seems that scolding Maxim for “covering up” nearly-naked plus size model Ashley Graham on its cover wasn’t enough: Now, the public is accusing the men’s mag of over-Photoshopping her famously “curvalicious” figure.
Fans of Graham and her body-positive message have compared the new cover to other recent photos of her, noting that the curvy 28-year-old’s arms, legs, and breasts appear to be altered to appear thinner.
“You are beautiful, and it’s really too bad these pictures are clearly altered,” wrote one commenter on Maxim’s Instagram of the cover.
Said another, “If you wanted a skinny model for your cover, why did you hire Ashley Graham just to edit her so much??” Similar sentiments have also been echoed on Graham’s own ‘gram.
That celebrities are almost always retouched in photos is no secret — but it can be particularly damaging when the celeb in question so frequently talk about how proud she is of her unique (by Hollywood and modeling standards) body.
Wednesday afternoon, Graham released a statement claiming that she wasn’t slimmed in post-production:
“I’m beyond proud to be the first curvy woman on the cover of Maxim. I was not slimmed down on the cover, and Gilles Bensimon did an amazing job capturing my true figure in all of the photos. This is another major advancement for curvy women, especially those who work in the fashion industry who are working hard to get the recognition they deserve. I now encourage more publications and designers to put more diversity on their covers and runways. Let’s continue to show that beautiful bodies come in different sizes and they should all be celebrated.”
French fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon, who shot the cover, has also clapped back, commenting on the image, “I shoot this image of Ashley, and we don’t slimmer her at all!!! [sic]” (Is it wrong that we love the word ‘slimmer’?)
So clearly, they’re both standing by the cover. Still, it’s hard to deny that the model does look a bit more svelte than usual.
In the same vein, actress and writer Lena Dunham recently declared herself completely Photoshop-free after a similar incident with a seemingly over-edited magazine cover caused a minor scandal. Considering Graham’s stance on self-love, we wouldn’t be surprised if she follows in Dunham’s footsteps sooner than later.
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