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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.

A wax figure of Beyonce is unveiled at Musee Grevin
A wax figure of Beyoncé is unveiled at Musée Grévin on July 04, 2024 | Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

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.

A wax figure of Beyonce is unveiled at Musee Grevin
A wax figure of Beyoncé is unveiled on July 04, 2024 | Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

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.

A wax figure of Beyonce is unveiled at Musee Grevin
A wax figure of Beyoncé at Musée Grévin in Paris | Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

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.

Singer Beyoncé wears a gold gown to the grand reveal of Atlantis in Dubai
Beyoncé at the Atlantis The Royal on January 21, 2023 | Mason Poole/Parkwood Media/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal

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.

Wearing a black and white striped dress, Beyoncé sings to a crowd
Beyoncé performs during the Renaissancce World Tour on July 29, 2023 | Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood

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.

A wax figure of Dwayne Johnson is painted by a man
Painter Franck Bruno (L) and sculptor Stephane Barret (R) pose with Dwayne Johnson’s wax figure at Musée Grévin on October 16, 2023 | Marc Piasecki/Getty Images

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.”

An adjusted wax figure of Dwayne Johnson is painted by a museum employee
A Musée Grévin employee adjusts the skin tone on Dwayne Johnson | STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Image

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.

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