Lawsuit Rumors For Elle Skin-Lightening Controversy

An anonymously-sourced Times Of India account claims Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is in “disbelief” about alleged skin-whitening on her Elle India cover. “If there is any proof of this, she might even take action.”

The unfortunate lead-in to this story is, “The racial controversy surrounding Ash’s face on the cover of a leading fashion magazine has just gotten darker.” It then quotes “a source close to her.”

“Aishwarya’s first reaction was disbelief. She believed that these things don’t happen anymore. Not in this day and age when women are recognized for their merit, and not for the colour of their skin. She is currently verifying this skin-whitening allegation. If there is any proof of this, she might even take action.”

Is this an actionable offense in India? Who cares! Bring on the controversy.

By the way, a 2008 Times of India report also claimed via an anonymous source, that Rai had been replaced in a L’Oreal campaign because she’d refused to endorse a skin-lightening cream. “It was the fairness cream that bothered Aishwarya,” the source is quoted as saying. “She said that she didn’t want to promote a fairness cream especially in India where one’s skin colour is such a big issue. She will never promote a product that discriminates on the basis of one’s skin colour. Ours is a society where biases are so prevalent that she will do all she can to curb it.”

Ash Might Sue For ‘White Face’ [Times Of India]
Earlier: Did Elle Lighten Aishwarya Rai Bachnan’s Skin On Indian Cover?