Supermodel ripped on social media for 'doing blackface' in altered photo showing darkened skin, hair

Gigi Hadid and Vogue Italia have apologized for showing the supermodel with darker skin on the cover of the May issue, the Associated Press reported.

Hadid was ripped on social media for "doing blackface" in the photo shoot.

One freelance journalist wrote on Twitter regarding the image: "I am so sick of the fashion world. It’s 2018. Stop the blackface, stop the photoshopping to make a model look more 'ethnic' HIRE MORE DIVERSE MODELS if that’s the look you need for your cover."

In addition, the normally blonde Hadid sports dark hair in the photo, the AP noted.

How did Hadid respond?

Hadid took to Twitter on Thursday to apologize and explain why the cover image came out the way it did.

"This is a photo of me returning home from shooting my Italian Vogue cover on April 3rd ... you can see the level I had been bronzed to on set that day," she wrote. "Please understand that my control of a shoot 1. is non existent in terms of creative direction. 2. ends completely when I leave set, and anything done to a photo in post is out of my control fully."

She added that the "bronzing and photoshop" is photographer Steven Klein's longtime style and that the point of the shoot was to show her "in a different way creatively."

Still, Hadid noted that the final result "was not executed correctly, and the concerns that have been brought up are valid."

"I want to address this for those who were offended by the editing/retouching/coloring of the cover. Please know that things would have been different if my control of the situation was different," she added. "Regardless, I want to apologize because my intention is never to diminish those concerns or take opportunities away from anyone else, and I hope this can be an example to other magazines and teams in the future."

A 'more diverse industry'

Hadid also acknowledged the "real issues regarding representation in fashion" and that "it's our responsibility to acknowledge those issues and communicate through them to work towards a more diverse industry."

How did Vogue Italia respond?

"Throughout its history, Vogue Italia has always respected and even encouraged the viewpoint of commissioned photographers. Needless to say, this is the case with the latest shoot by Steven Klein, a creative whose vision has had an impact in shaping the path of our publication," the magazine said in a statement to E! News reported. "Fashion photography, and Vogue Italia's in particular, is an interpretation of reality, not a literal representation of it, and this creative approach applies to the cover of the May issue."

This isn't the first time Hadid has caused a stir...

Hadid got under the skin of more than a few folks after her “disrespectful” and “offensive” impersonation of Melania Trump just after her husband Donald Trump's election to the presidency in 2016.

And Hadid apologized — sort of: “I believe Melania understands show business and the way shows are written and run. I apologize to anyone that I offended & have only the best wishes for our country.”