Amelia Hamlin’s Response To ‘Blackfishing’ Claims: ‘I Tan Easily’

Lisa Rinna and Amelia Hamlin in the front row
Rachel Zoe Spring 2019 presentation, Front Row, Los Angeles, USA - 04 Sep 2018 — Image Credit: MEGA

Amelia Hamlin’s complexion was noticeably different in the series of photos she posted to her Instagram on Thursday (Feb. 25.) “Whiplash got me…..” wrote the 19-year-old daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, her skin several shades darker when compared to other photos on her timeline, and her hair pulled back into a tight braid. Though the post has comments turned off, it appears that many of her followers were accusing her of “blackfishing,” a term referring to when non-Black individuals use their hair and makeup to look ethnically Black or more racially ambiguous. The backlash was so great that Amelia had to defend herself on her Instagram Story.

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“I’m receiving a lot of comments in regards to my latest photo,” she wrote. “I am being told that I am ‘black fishing’ – thank you all for educating me on this topic. I recently went on vacation to the sun, and with my Italian heritage, I tan very easily. There is no self-tanner involved. Or intention of looking darker than my own natural skin color. I had a lot of fun creating this look with no malice intention or offense.”

“Blackfishing” is considered another aspect of cultural appropriation, and many big stars have been accused of it: Ariana Grande in her “thank u, next” video; Selena Gomez on her 2020 cover of Interview magazine; and practically every member of the Kardashian-Jenner family (Online publication The Tab published a 2019 article titled “A reminder of what the Kardashians looked like before they started ‘blackfishing’ ” while dropping numerous photo accusations.)

The backlash will likely prompt Amelia to use a stronger sunscreen next time she vacations “on the sun,” and instead of pulling her hair back in a tight braid, she might just follow her boyfriend’s example and dye it pink. Scott Disick, 37, recently joined on the trend of coloring his hair the shade of bubblegum. “I did Scott’s hair,” celebrity barber Luis Rivera told HollywoodLife. “It was my first time doing his haircut and color. He first asked for platinum blonde, but when he found out that I did pink hair on Maluma, he said he liked it and that he wanted his hair like that. And we made it happen.”

As for Amelia’s take on Scott’s pink hair? “She was there, and she loved it too,” Luis shared with HollywoodLife. “It made me feel really good. I would like to thank Scott for treating me right and for being a special person.”