According to People.com, the 19 year old – who is known for her fashionable outfits and on-fleek make-up – was thought to be black or mixed race by her followers because of her dark complexion and the texture of her hair.
But as soon as an old picture of a lighter-skinned Emma surfaced on the internet her followers realised she was actually white, and accused her of intentionally posing as black.
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Reports by Buzzfeed allege Emma was also criticised for not correcting accounts that had posted her and identified her as black. Some are reportedly also accusing the teen of adding a darker shade to her make-up.
Speaking to the publication, Emma, who has over 240 000 Insta followers, denied the claims and said she just tans easily.
“I do not see myself as anything else than white,” she said.
“I get a deep tan naturally from the sun.”
In her Instagram stories, Emma also tried to explain that she wasn’t posing as black to get sponsorships and said the two pictures that surfaced online were taken during different seasons.
But Emma isn’t the first influencer to land in hot water “blackface”. Teen Vogue reported that several other white influencers have been called out for blackfishing by using dark facial make-up, wearing their hair in cornrows and other traditionally black hairstyles, and others allegedly enhanced their bodies to reportedly look like black women.
READ MORE: A Twitter account is exposing white women who pretend to be black
Last year the publication also reported that Instagram model and beauty vlogger Jaiden Gumby was accused of blackface after posting photos where she appears to have dark curly hair and a deep tan.
Check out the comments on blackface below.
