Was Gabourey Sidibe's skin lightened for the cover of ELLE?

It is possible that they lightened her skin but as a woman of color I also know that our skin tone changes during winter months. When I am out the sun for a few months I get lighter and then much darker in the summer. I do think think that they were "hiding" her body, but at the same time as a plus sized girl myself I would want the best most flattering shots and if that means you have to omit my rolls LOL so be it.

It's DEFINITELY the lighting. But, I think she looks beautiful on this cover. To compare her to jokes like Lauren Conrad and Megan fox, who have done nothing but make total fools of themselves, is insanely shallow AND offensive to women of color.

She uh beutiful blacks woman why iz dey hatein!!! she way finner den uh white gull. she aint fat, she juss thicks yo.

People are not admiring her for being morbidly obese. People are admiring her for still having dreams and going after them. Should she stay at home and do nothing because she is overweight? No. That is why she is a role model. Yes, she has to lose a lot of weight, but she is indeed a role model for those of us who have been made to feel we should stay home and in the dark because we are not thin. It is easier to lose weight when one is overweight than to become a good-hearted person when one is mean and ugly like some of you are. Being mean is a horrible, horrible trait. I imagine she is in a much happier place in life than most of you mean people. I absolutely think she should lose weight, but I also think she has every right to be on the cover.

Easier than lightening her body, that is for sure. Will she also be a "plus size" mode. Good grief, let us not celebrate morbid obesity.

I can't stand a LOT of this. Sidibe's relevant and funny and gorgeous and effervescent, etc. etc. etc. And she is an incredible actress. Which makes her perfect for a magazine cover. The lighting? The cropping? What? I think people are looking for issues, here. It's a non-issue until people make it one. She's gorgeous, she deserves to be on the cover, I dig it, I'll buy Elle (probably even more now that I know we're on the same "page")... Some people should start looking into their own psyches before they start making issues (not of the magazine variety) out of non-issues. Ugh.

i am a photagrapher and that pic is photoshopped. i guarantee it. has nothing to do with the lighting. if it did the movie she was in would have shown the same results. in the movie she was black. in real life she is black. its just like everything else these days. b@llsh!t

Let's put the shoe on the other foot for a moment, shall we?

1. What if the other three girls' photos were cropped, but Gabby's photo was not? I can hear it now... "How come the other girls got close-ups, but not Gabby? Elle is just trying to make Gabby look fat!" or "They don't think she's pretty enough for a close-up!"

2. SO WHAT if the other three girls were white? If they were black and/or Asian and/or Latina, none of us Caucasians could (or would) say a word (because that would be racist, right?).

3. What if Elle had decided AGAINST putting Gabby on the cover at all? Then what? It would probably be less of a debate.

This is totally absurd. She looks amazing on this cover and the people who have to dig all the time need to change their focus.

You people kill me. Why get on here and put the girl down? If Elle chose to have her on the cover of their magazine because they feel like beauty isn't just reserved for a specific type of people, then so be it. Why would it bother any of you? And to say she belongs on the front of National Geographic is just downright mean and cruel...but of course, what should I expect from people who have nothing else to do besides sit behind a computer and throw insults at people based on how they look? Not much. Get a life, PLEASE.

She's on the cover, she should be happy they chose her. Always a complaint I swear. Would they have preferred a full body shot where she just looks plain huge? I think they were being nice and courtious to her.

Hogger!

I think she looks lovely and I doubt they could have done a better job at making her look nice if you look at the cover her hair is lighter too!!! Give us a break, if she was white and her skin looked darker would this even be article worthy?

They did a re-touch. Lights can make a difference but not that much of a difference. What bothers me is that Elle thought so low of the general public. They assumed people are racist and therefore, showing her true color was going to be a problem. Come on.

maybe its also discriminating that the other three are slender and beautiful

She is obese and unhealthy and too dark to be marketable. That is why they did the cover like this.

They are trying to sell magazines.

There are some hateful people out there. STOP HATING!!!!!! Just because you are not a size 2 does not mean you are not beautiful. The issue of what is a healthy weight is separate from the issue of beauty. Not everyone thinks skinny chicks are the only females that have a right to be beautiful. She made the cover and I am happy for her. I am a little upset that they did not do a full body shot though.

Whoever wrote this article should be laid off at once. They have too much time on their hands and should get a real job. You sound like the people who held a paper bag to the face of blacks and if their coloring was darker then the bag wouldn't use them. Grow up.

Whoever wrote this article should be laid off at once. They have too much time on their hands and should get a real job. You sound like the people who held a paper bag to the face of blacks and if their coloring was darker then the bag wouldn't use them. Grow up.

Maybe she requested that her whole body not be in the shot. As a photographer I would have to say my heavier clients do NOT like to show off their body and when they are showing more body we find much different poses than with the skinny girls. Why would they want an unflattering picture of her on a big magazine? And for the skin- My darker colored clients also look a lot lighter depending on what light source is used and how the images are shot. Stupid article if you ask me.