Elle magazine was accused of lightening the skin of actress and former Miss World Aishwanya Rai

A similar complaint was also leveled against the October 2010 issue of Elle, which featured actress Gabourey Sidibe (of the hit movie Precious). With regard to the photo of Sidibe, Elle's editor-in-chief Robbie Myers explained. "At a photo shoot, in a studio, that is a fashion shoot, that's glamorous, the lighting is different. The photography is different than a red carpet shot from a paparazzi." She emphasized, "We absolutely did not lighten her skin. Retouching is when we take a piece of hair and move it out of her eye, so you can't compare a picture on a press line from what you do in a studio, where your job is to make them look beautiful."