A prominent Australian model has found herself on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism, after appearing in photos donned in blackface for a dress-up party.
Sophie Applegarth, who is based in Brisbane, painted her skin brown with two friends in an effort to look more like tennis superstars Serena and Venus Williams, and basketballer Kobe Bryant.
- 'I'm not racist, I've got black mates' - Kiwi 'blackface' comedian
- FaceApp introduces 'blackface' feature, deletes it after backlash
- Bachelor NZ's Art Green under fire over 'blackface' costume
The images of Ms Applegarth and her friends, taken before they headed to a sports star-themed party, almost immediately caused a backlash, after being shared on social media.
Blackface originated in minstrel shows in the 1800s, where it perpetuated negative racial stereotypes of black people. As such, modern-day usage is highly contentious.
Ms Applegarth's modelling agency, Chic Management, has now deleted her profile from its website, but has rebuffed requests for comment on whether it will continue to represent her.
While her Instagram account is private, ABC News reports that Ms Applegarth issued a disclaimer on her account, stating that she and her friends "had no racist or malicious intent", and were simply "praising our fav sports stars".
She did not offer an apology for the posts.
After being called out by an Instagram follower for racism, the pair who'd dressed as the Williams sisters allegedly responded with a picture that showed one of them pulling the finger.
One of the three women said she had been subjected to "unreasonable harassment" over the images and claimed she was in the process of "submitting them to my lawyer".
Ms Applegarth has not yet responded to any requests for comment.
Newshub.
