Kylie Jenner Faces “Blackfishing” Accusations After Vanity Fair Cover Drops
Kylie Jenner is facing criticism online after her latest Vanity Fair cover was released. The Kylie Cosmetics founder appears in the photo wearing khaki pants and a black bra while smoking a cigarette. Soon after the image was posted on Vanity Fair’s Instagram page, many users began questioning her appearance, especially the darker tone of her skin in the photo.
Several people in the comments accused Jenner of changing how she looks. One user asked, “Why the ethnicity change?” Another person wrote that the image “doesn’t look like her at all.” Some commenters even said they did not recognize her at first. One user wrote, “Is this really Kylie Jenner? I really thought at first that the wrong image was used. Wow. Okay then. Why is she cosplaying an Indian woman?”
Others went further and accused the reality star of trying to appear Black. One comment read, “Who is this Black woman? And where is Kylie?” The term “blackfishing” also appeared repeatedly in the discussion.
The term, created by journalist Wanna Thompson, is used when mainly white public figures change their appearance through makeup, hairstyles, or editing in ways that make them appear Black, mixed-race, or racially ambiguous.
Jenner shared the same Vanity Fair cover on her own Instagram account. The response there was more mixed. Some well-known figures praised the image. Her mother Kris Jenner commented “STUNNING,” and model Gigi Hadid wrote “Soo beautiful ky.” Still, some followers repeated the same criticism seen elsewhere. Comments included questions such as “Why is she so dark?” and direct accusations of “Blackfishing.”
Vanity Fair also faced criticism from some users. A number of commenters pointed out that the magazine promoted the Jenner feature shortly after publishing an article defending comments made by Jenner’s boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, about ballet and opera. In that article, titled “Timothée Chalamet Is Right About Ballet and Opera,” writer Chris Murphy wrote, “Were Chalamet’s comments graceless? Sure. Inelegant? Yes. Even a bit rude and dismissive? Well, yeah. But was anything Chalamet said incorrect? Not in the slightest.”
This is not the first time Jenner has been criticized for similar issues. In 2015, she posted photos of herself with a darker metallic skin tone along with blue contact lenses and bright pink hair. At the time she wrote, “What I wish I looked like all the time.” After people criticized the images, she responded by posting another photo and writing, “This is a black light and neon lights people lets all calm down.”
Jenner faced more backlash in 2020 after sharing photos of herself wearing a neon green Tom Ford outfit and using the caption “Giving you baby mama drama honey.” One user reacted by writing, “You are a white woman. Stop cosplaying Black & brown women, they are not your costume.”
Members of the Kardashian-Jenner family have also faced similar criticism before. In 2018, Kim Kardashian was criticized for wearing Fulani braids and calling them “Bo Derek braids,” referencing the hairstyle worn by actress Bo Derek in the 1979 film 10. Kim also faced accusations of darkening her skin tone during the 2017 campaign for KKW Beauty.
Situations like this show how closely celebrities are watched online and how quickly people react to photos that appear heavily styled or edited. Public figures often experiment with fashion and photography, but audiences today are also very sensitive to issues around cultural identity. What do you think about the reaction to Kylie Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover? Share your thoughts in the comments.
