‘It’s a disgrace:’ Actor Guy Pearce responds to Vanity Fair France’s edit of Palestine flag pin

(CNN) — Vanity Fair France has issued an apology after editing a photo of actor Guy Pearce, in which a Palestinian flag pin he wore on his suit jacket is not visible. The move, which was quickly called out on social media, has been labeled by some as an attempt at censorship.

“As the Palestinian people are already suffering great trauma and loss due to the vengeful regime of Netanyahu it is most unfortunate that a reputable publication like VF attempts to eliminate support that I or anyone chooses to offer,” Pearce told CNN in an emailed statement. “Personally I think it is a disgrace.”

Pearce was featured in Vanity Fair France last week as part of a series of actor portraits at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, which wrapped its 11-day stint on May 25 and where Pearce was supporting his new film “The Shrouds.” Featured alongside stars like Sebastian Stan and Bella Hadid, Pearce sported a black Yves Saint Laurent suit in his portrait, smiling straight at the camera.

But social media sleuths detected an issue. A small Palestinian flag pin, which Pearce had been wearing on his lapel throughout Cannes, was missing from the photograph, though a different photo, featuring the pin, was posted to the magazine’s Instagram the same day the article published. A white, red, black and green bracelet — the colors of the Palestinian flag — was still visible on his wrist.

The sleuthing went viral on sites like X and TikTok, prompting the magazine to replace the un-edited photo and issue a correction to the article. An apology was also posted to social media on Sunday.

“We have published by mistake a modified version of this photo on the site,” the magazine wrote in French on X in response to a viral post criticizing the edited photo. “The original version was posted on Instagram the same day. We have rectified our mistake and we apologize.”

It’s unclear why a modified version of the picture existed in the first place. Condé Nast, Vanity Fair’s parent company, did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.

Following the controversy, Pearce also reiterated his support for the Palestinian cause in a post on X, writing “Palestinians are being murdered as we speak. Displaced, traumatised, ruined. The lives and futures of Palestinian children are being eradicated by a vengeful tyrant.”

Since October, more than 36,000 people in Gaza have been killed, according to the Ministry of Health in the enclave. Israel’s military operation in Gaza started after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Last weekend, Israel launched an airstrike on a refugee camp in Rafah, killing at least 45 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the civilian deaths a “tragic error” but would not cease the war, despite international condemnation.

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CNN’s Alex Rees contributed reporting.