Mindy Kaling Defends Elle Cover
Elle magazine is stirring controversy once again over one of its covers.
For its February "Women in TV" issue, the magazine released four separate covers featuring "New Girl" star Zooey Deschanel, Amy Poehler from "Parks and Recreation," "Girls" star Allison Williams and Mindy Kaling from "The Mindy Project." But one of the covers was not like the others.
Covers of the first three stars appear in color and feature full-body shots. Kaling's cover, however, is in black and white and shows only her face and upper body.
This led some critics within the blogosphere to speculate that Elle took a different approach with Kaling because she's more full-figured than Deschanel, Poehler and Williams.
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But Kaling, who previously revealed that she is a proud size 8, is happy with how her cover turned out.
"I love my @ELLEmagazine cover. It made me feel glamorous & cool. And if anyone wants to see more of my body, go on thirteen dates with me," the actress tweeted Tuesday.
Kaling added, "Wishing for more skin on my @ELLEmagazine cover? Chris Messina & I are naked on a brand new #themindyproject tonight, ya pervs!" (It's actually, coincidentally, true. Thank heavens my writers constantly script nudity. So: super funny, totally nude Chris/Mindy tonight!)"
Melissa McCarthy Calls Controversial Elle Cover 'Kind of Amazing'
Elle released its own statement: "Mindy looks sexy, beautiful and chic. We think it is a striking and sophisticated cover and are thrilled to celebrate her in our Women in TV Issue."
Elle faced a similar controversy last year, after it had Melissa McCarthy pose wearing a coat in the cover photo for the November Hollywood issue, while showing a lot more skin on the issue's other covers featuring Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley and Marion Cotillard.
McCarthy played down the controversy, telling omg! Insider, "[Elle is] a magazine I grew up with and I hadn't done anything quite like that. I was nervous… It was kind of amazing."