See Beyoncé’s ‘Whitewashed’ Wax Figure Unveiled in Paris, Sparking Concern Among Fans

Beyoncé's new wax figure looks pretty white. BThis isn't the first time Musée Grévin has faced backlash from a wax figure unveiling.

Pop culture fans and history buffs consider Musée Grévin a must-see attraction along Paris’s Seine River. The museum is home to over 200 wax sculptures of famous figures like Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Michael Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Although visitors enjoy “meeting” these iconic faces, the initial unveiling often stirs up controversy. Enter Beyoncé, unveiled this morning.

The new waxwork sculpture of Beyoncé has sparked outrage amongst fans of the 32-time Grammy Award winner. Commenters on X, formerly Twitter, claim that she looks like “anything but” herself. Whitewashing comes to mind as BeyHive supporters say she looks “white” and “Why this look like beyonce body, with MJ face,” according to the Metro.

The wax sculpture does have a noticeably whiter complexion and a thinner face. Although some claim to see a likeness in the eyes and mouth, others say the sum total of this unveiling is utterly disappointing. Beyoncé’s wax figure does portray some of her signature curves. It sports her trademark crimped hairstyle with lighter locks framing her face.

The wax figure wears a plunging silver bodysuit covered in sparkles and reminiscent of her Renaissance tour outfits. The Musée Grévin team added fishnets covered in rhinestones and a cascading silver shawl.

Beyoncé has not commented on the wax figure as of publication. She last posted a video of herself on Instagram enjoying a sunny vacay with Jay-Z. Cruising on a boat, the 42-year-old wore a white lacy mini dress and white handkerchief. She added oversized white sunnies for a preppy summer look.

Nine months ago, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson experienced a similar problem with his wax figure. After its unveiling on October 16, 2023, the Moana star requested “important changes” to his sculpture regarding its notably white skin tone.

The Musée Grévin released a statement via its PR representative, Veronique Berecz. She explained to Variety, “Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet Dwayne Johnson, so we used several photos. But as it turns out, pictures can be very tricky because the nuances of skin tones can differ depending on the lighting on photos.”

Berecz continued, “We just made an honest mistake based on the photos we looked at. After we saw all these reactions on different blogs and social networks, we changed it immediately.” After correcting the error, fans agree that Johnson looks more like himself with authentic skin color and texture.