Vanity Fair magazine apologizes for editing actor Guy Pearce’s photo with Palestinian flag pin

By Irmak Kucukaksu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The American monthly magazine Vanity Fair apologized on Monday for editing the Australian actor Guy Pearce’s Palestinian flag pin from the photo it published, and republished the original photo after it was noticed by people from across the world.

The award ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival was held in the city of Cannes in the south of France on Saturday.

Some celebrities of the art community who attended the festival gave a message of support for Palestine.

One of the famous names who gave a message of support for Palestine was Australian actor Guy Pearce.

Pearce attended the Cannes Film Festival with a Palestinian flag pin. He also wore a bracelet with the colors of the Palestinian flag.

It was alleged that the American magazine digitally altered on X Guy Pearce's photo at the Cannes Film Festival, removing the pin.

In addition, posts about the allegation mentioned that although the pin was removed, the bracelet with the colors of the Palestinian flag was forgotten by the magazine.

Social media users from all around the world tagged Vanity Fair's X account, questioning the reasoning behind the digital removal of the item from the photo.

The Australian actor posed for photos for the French version of the American magazine Vanity Fair at the Cannes Film Festival.

Pearce, wearing a tuxedo, smiled and posed for the camera while sitting in a chair.

The photo shows the actor wearing a Palestinian flag pin on his left lapel and a woven bracelet in the colors of the Palestinian flag on his wrist.

The photo, taken by photographer Saskia Lawaks, was published on the official Instagram page of the French version of the magazine on May 22.

However, as claimed by social media users who shared posts on the subject, when the archive of the magazine's website is examined, it is noticeable that a different version of the photo was first published.

In the photo on the website, there is no Palestinian pin worn by the actor.

The fact that the pin was digitally removed from the photo shows the veracity of the users' claim.

A review of the current version of the magazine's website, replacing the archive, reveals that the digitally doctored photo of the pin is no longer available.

In other words, it appears that Vanity Fair has replaced the digitally manipulated photo with the original one with the pin and updated its website.

- Apology message

On May 27, a statement added under Pearce's portrait drew people’s attention. “A previous version of this image was published on the website, the original version was this one, simultaneously posted on Instagram. We present our sincere apologies,” the statement added.

The magazine further wrote on X: “We mistakenly published a modified version of this photo on the website.”

“The original version was posted on Instagram the same day. We rectified our mistake, we apologize.”

However, even though the magazine apologized, the digital editing of the photo did not escape criticism.

Commenting under the magazine's apology message, some X users said that this was a deliberate move rather than a mistake and that the apology came after the magazine was caught in the act.

Israel has launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 following a Hamas attack, killing more than 37,170 people and injuring 81,400 others.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Merve Berker