The renowned Grevin Museum in Paris, France, recently unveiled a wax statue of the American actor and former professional wrestler, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. However, the unveiling sparked controversy as the actor expressed dissatisfaction with the figure, particularly its skin tone.
Johnson, who is of multi-ethnic descent, took to social media to voice his concerns about the waxwork. He pointed out that the statue’s skin colour was significantly lighter than his own, leading to accusations of “whitewashing” from the public. The actor requested the museum to make the necessary adjustments to the figure, emphasising the importance of accurately representing his skin colour.
In an Instagram post, Johnson shared a video by comedian James Andre Jefferson, who humorously critiqued the wax figure. Jefferson joked that the statue made Johnson look like he was on the verge of joining the British royal family. Johnson responded to the jest, stating that he would have his team liaise with the Grevin Museum to update his wax figure, starting with the skin colour.
Watch the video here:
The Grevin Museum acknowledged the criticism and pledged to rectify the issue promptly. They assured that they would send new photos of the corrected statue to Johnson once the changes were made. They also extended an invitation to the actor to visit the museum the next time he was in Paris.
The museum explained that the creation of the statue was based on photographs and videos of Johnson, as the sculptor, Stephane Barret, did not have the opportunity to meet the star in person. Barret admitted that capturing Johnson’s subtle smile was a challenging task. Despite the initial misstep, the museum remains committed to ensuring the wax figure accurately represents Johnson’s physical attributes, including his skin colour.
