‘It’s a disgrace:’ Actor Guy Pearce responds to Vanity Fair France’s edit of Palestine flag pin

Vanity Fair France has issued an apology after editing a photo of actor Guy Pearce, in which a Palestinian flag pin he wore on his suit jacket is not visible. The move, which was quickly called out on social media, has been labeled by some as an attempt at censorship.

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‘It’s a disgrace:’ Actor Guy Pearce responds to Vanity Fair France’s edit of Palestine flag pin

By Leah Asmelash, CNN

3 minute read

Updated 11:13 AM EDT, Thu May 30, 2024

Guy Pearce leaving “The Shrouds” Red Carpet at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with the Palestinian flag visible on his lapel.

Guy Pearce leaving “The Shrouds” Red Carpet at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, with the Palestinian flag visible on his lapel. Victor Boyko/Getty Images

CNN

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Vanity Fair France has issued an apology after editing a photo of actor Guy Pearce, in which a Palestinian flag pin he wore on his suit jacket is not visible. The move, which was quickly called out on social media, has been labeled by some as an attempt at censorship.

“As the Palestinian people are already suffering great trauma and loss due to the vengeful regime of Netanyahu it is most unfortunate that a reputable publication like VF attempts to eliminate support that I or anyone chooses to offer,” Pearce told CNN in an emailed statement. “Personally I think it is a disgrace.”

Pearce was featured in Vanity Fair France last week as part of a series of actor portraits at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, which wrapped its 11-day stint on May 25 and where Pearce was supporting his new film “The Shrouds.” Featured alongside stars like Sebastian Stan and Bella Hadid, Pearce sported a black Yves Saint Laurent suit in his portrait, smiling straight at the camera.

But social media sleuths detected an issue. A small Palestinian flag pin, which Pearce had been wearing on his lapel throughout Cannes, was missing from the photograph, though a different photo, featuring the pin, was posted to the magazine’s Instagram the same day the article published. A white, red, black and green bracelet — the colors of the Palestinian flag — was still visible on his wrist.

The sleuthing went viral on sites like X and TikTok, prompting the magazine to replace the un-edited photo and issue a correction to the article. An apology was also posted to social media on Sunday.

“We have published by mistake a modified version of this photo on the site,” the magazine wrote in French on X in response to a viral post criticizing the edited photo. “The original version was posted on Instagram the same day. We have rectified our mistake and we apologize.”