Pharrell is being accused of cultural insensitivity after the unveiling of the controversial July 2014 ELLE UK cover featuring an image of the superstar wearing a Native American headdress.
The cover spawned swift outrage from the Native American community along with Twitter commentary from others who shared their sentiments. Within hours, the #NotHappy hashtag began to circulate further detraction from the upcoming issue, which prompted Pharrell to issue a statement.
“I respect and honor every kind of race, background and culture. I am genuinely sorry,” he said earlier today (June 4) through his publicist.
After virtually no missteps during a successful 2013 run, the Grammy winner has been no stranger to controversy in recent months. All facts considered, one would assume that he’d be more careful with his decision making.
While it’s unclear how Pharrell didn’t foresee the controversy, all signs point to the publication, which ultimately made the decision to use the image. Hit the jump to see a gallery of Twitter reactions to the Native American garb.
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Photo: ELLE UK
