Sweden’s Rachel Dolezal.

[Br.IanVonTurpie]

https://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/instagram-model-insists-she-hasnt-pretended-to-be-black/news-story/04b8cb9158006451d5b364798c617d1b

A Swedish Instagram model is facing controversy after followers accused her of pretending to be black, calling her out for cultural appropriation.

Emma Hallberg, 19, is known for uploading selfies and makeup tips for her 200,000 Instagram followers. But some social media users were shocked when they found out that Hallberg, who currently has a bronze complexion, is white.

It all started last Tuesday when a Twitter user uploaded a photo from Hallberg's Instagram along with a screenshot of a conversation pointing out that the brunette beauty is actually white.

"I honestly thought Emma [Hallberg] was half black lol," another Twitter user commented

Other people started to recirculate a photo on Twitter of Hallberg with a noticeably lighter skin tone. Some accused her of "blackfishing," or pretending to be black to get more attention.

"If her skin colour changed between seasons I don't think her skin colour would be the same for every season as you can see on her Instagram," wrote one online user. "The girl was clearly posing as black, as she's posted by many black pages

Hallberg has been featured on Instagram pages showcasing black models, according to Buzzfeed, but she never asked the accounts to take down posts — most of which have now been deleted.

Hallberg has since turned off comments on her social media accounts, as some users discussed whether or not her pictures are considered blackface
After the backlash, the model defended herself to Buzzfeed, saying she's never used any self-tanners or spray tans and never "claimed or tried to be black or anything else."

"I do not see myself as anything else than white," she said. "I get a deep tan naturally from the sun."

She also referenced a selfie from 2017 and told Buzzfeed that she has the "same tan" she has now