'It is so different from what I look like in the mirror': Kerry Washington slams Adweek for 'Photoshopping' her cover and making her look almost unrecognizable

Kerry Washington has accused Adweek of Photoshopping her recent cover shoot so badly that she was left looking almost completely unrecognizable. 

In a lengthy Instagram post, the 39-year-old Scandal star called out the publication for its heavy-handed editing, admitting that she felt 'weary' when she first saw the 'unfortunate' final cover shot. 

'I have to be honest...I was taken aback by the cover,' she wrote alongside the image. 'Look, I'm no stranger to Photoshopping. It happens a lot. In a way, we have become a society of picture adjusters - who doesn't love a filter?!? 

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Controversial: Kerry Washington has accused Adweek of editing her cover shot, admitting that she feels she looks almost completely unrecognizable in the shot

Different view: Even when compared with one of the interior images from the publication (pictured), it is easy to see how different the 39-year-old actress looks on the cover, particularly when it comes to her skin tone 

Spot the difference: On the cover (left), Kerry's face looks altered - her lips are plumper, and her hairline appears to come down lower than normal (right). Her skin also looks much lighter on the cover

'And I don't always take these adjustments to task but I have had the opportunity to address the impact of my altered image in the past and I think it's a valuable conversation.

'Yesterday, however, I just felt weary. It felt strange to look at a picture of myself that is so different from what I look like when I look in the mirror. It's an unfortunate feeling.'

Kerry's post comes one day after the publication of the cover and the accompanying photoshoot which featured within the magazine's pages, and her complaint follows on the heels of hundreds of furious social media posts from her fans, in which they have hit out at Adweek for making the star look so different on the cover. 

Indeed, when compared to the images featured inside the publication, it is easy to see how different Kerry looks on the cover shot, both in terms of her facial features, and the color of her skin, which looks much lighter on the featured cover shot than it does in any of the other images. 

'Kerry Washington. Is. Not. Frankenstein. Stop experimenting on people like this,' one Twitter user said of the cover, while another added: 'If they photoshop Kerry Washington, who is GORGEOUS, what must @Adweek think of the rest of us?'

In her Instagram post, which was shared on Tuesday afternoon, Kerry took the time to thank her fans for their support in light of the controversial cover, saying: 'You all have been very kind and supportive.'

Kerry also made sure to point out what a fan she is of Adweek as a publication, although she hinted that this made seeing what she believes to be a heavily-edited cover that much more difficult to deal with and is perhaps the reason why she chose to wait a full 24 hours before addressing the controversy that had already set social media on fire. 

'So...You know me. I'm not one to be quiet about a magazine cover. I always celebrate it when a respected publication invites me to grace their pages. It's an honor. And a privilege. And ADWEEK is no exception,' she wrote. 

Natural: The Scandal star, who is pictured at a the premiere of HBO's Confirmation last month, admitted that the cover image looks 'so different from what I look like when I look in the mirror'

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Very bold: Inside the publication, Kerry looks more like her normal self, and she is pictured modeling a series of very vibrant dresses 

'I love ADWEEK. It's a publication I appreciate. And learn from. I've long followed them on Twitter. And when they invited me to do a cover, I was excited and thrilled. And the truth is, I'm still excited. I'm proud of the article. And I like some of the inside images a great deal.'

But despite her disappointment at seeing the cover shot, Kerry still urged her fans to pick up a copy of the magazine, if only to enjoy her interview: 'There are a few things we discussed in the interview that were left out. Things that are important to me (like: the importance of strong professional support and my awesome professional team) and I've been thinking about how to discuss those things with anyone who is interested, in an alternate forum.

'But until then...Grab this week's ADWEEK. Read it. I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for being patient with me while I figured out how to post this in a way that felt both celebratory and honest.' 

In a statement given to Daily Mail Online, James Cooper, the Editorial Director at Adweek, insisted that the publication only made 'minimal adjustments' to Kerry's cover, in order to meet 'design needs', adding that the editorial team never meant to cause any offence or disrespect.

'Kerry Washington is a class act,' he said. 'We are honored to have her grace our pages. To clarify, we made minimal adjustments, solely for the cover's design needs. 

'We meant no disrespect, quite the opposite. We are glad she is enthusiastic about the piece and appreciate her honest comments.'

Although this is perhaps the most vocal Kerry has ever been in accusing a publication of editing her image, it is not the first time that a magazine has been called out for altering her appearance on its cover.

In February 2015, Kerry's fans took to social media to slam InStyle for allegedly 'whitening' the star's skin on its front cover, with many voicing their thoughts by posting in the comments section under the cover which was shared by Kerry on her Instagram account, lashing out at what they described as a ‘false representation’ of the Scandal star. 

Another controversy: In February 2015, InStyle was accused of editing Kerry's cover shoot to make her skin 'lighter', however the publication insisted that it was down to the style of lighting used during the shoot

One woman went as far as to suggest that the magazine should issue an apology to Kerry for altering the image so drastically, referring to the cover as 'an egregious mistake'.

'You mean to tell me your editors saw fit to Photoshop @kerrywashington to the point where not only is her completion is severely lightened but the ENTIRE character of her face is altered?' she fumed. 'Your magazine needs to issue a statement of apology not only to your readers but to Kerry Washington as well.'

And then there was Kerry's December 2013/January 2014 cover of Lucky, which many suggested had been edited beyond all recognition, with a number of people voicing similar concerns about the apparent lightening of her skin color.  

But for those able to look beyond the controversial cover of this week's Adweek, as Kerry urged her fans to do, the interview holds some intriguing facts for Scandal fans, with the actress admitting that shockers like last year's kidnapping storyline and Kerry's character Olivia getting an abortion earlier this season, took her totally by surprise.

The star explained: 'I had no idea that the abortion scene was coming until I turned the page at the table read and read it out loud with everybody else, 

'There are occasional moments when she'll give me a hint about something that's coming, but it's very, very rare.' she added.

But the mother-of-one said she is fine with letting Rhimes take the reins and has never had an interest in becoming a show producer.

'I show up and try to bring it to life,' she explained. 

Kerry told Adweek that while she hasn't talked to Rhimes about how the series will come to a close, she's confident that she will take the show where it needs to go.

'I trust her,' she said. 'We are where we are because of her decision making.'