Taraji P. Henson knows she looks like a member of the Jackson 5 in recent photo, and fans are shocked

Taraji P. Henson was the first to poke fun at the shocking resmblance on Instagram. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Taraji P. Henson was the first to poke fun at the shocking resmblance on Instagram. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

An extreme makeover has Taraji P. Henson wondering if she’s the sixth Jackson sibling, and her fans agree.

The actress posted a close-up selfie on Instagram Thursday, and in it she looks unrecognizable. Most noticeably, her skin is extra light. Her deep red lips and long, combed-out hairstyle with a middle part just add to the odd look.

The whole image is pretty shocking, and Henson agrees. “Uuuuuuummmmmm kinda Trippy NO?” she began the caption. “Hair and make up is something huh? I think it’s the lighting. If not I was supposed to be the 6th of the 5 😩😂😂😂 💋💋💋,” she wrote, insinuating that she looks a lot like a member of the Jackson family. She read everyone’s minds; her followers think she looks like one member of the Jackson clan in particular, however. “Not to be mean, but I thought this was Michael Jackson,” one fan stated plainly. “Looks like MJ for sure❣def trippy,” another fan agreed. “I’m sorry Taraji but, in this picture you look like Michael Jackson. You are still beautiful but, it looks weird,” someone else wrote. “You could play Michael Jackson,” another follower suggested. “MUA: how do ya want yo make up? Taraji: ‘just beat it’.”

Commenters have been quick to come up with explanations. “Its the wig! And lashes….light to bright,” one wrote. “I know it’s just the lighting but this is funny!”

Other more unimpressed fans think her makeup artist is solely to blame, including comedian DC Young Fly, who ranted about it in his own Instagram post. “Girl, who the f*** did your goddamn makeup?” he asked.

“You needed two shades darker with less gold glow ur mua needs to give you a refund,” a follower commented. “Sis you need a new makeup artist? I got you,” said another. “i clicked on this thinking it was a michael jackson makeup tutorial.”

Today I got roasted by social media @theshaderoom @dcyoungfly and fans let me have it and even told @tarajiphenson to fire me… well same hair and makeup same day in these two pictures but let me explain to the novice #makeupartist out here in the social media world. Lighting makes a major difference in how your makeup appears. Taraji has a yellow undertone and in her trailer the lights are fluorescent. Where as in the #makeuptrailer the lights are natural light bulbs. Anyone who is a pro knows that fluorescent lighting will turn your skintone green and make you appear ashy. I’ve done Tarajis makeup for many many years in fact many celebrities and I was reluctant to address this but I decided it was necessary to teach you novice makeup artist and people who don’t know lighting whatsoever that it does affect how your makeup looks. Furthermore makeup for TV, red carpet, editorial, film etc are all different mediums and makeup reads differently depending on the format used, cameras, lighting, background, hair color, clothing etc. I’ve been doing this over 20 years so imma say this don’t come for my job or my talent cause the work speaks for itself. I’m so damn tired of people throwing stones and don’t even understand the technicalities involved when it comes to #makeup #hair or #fashion and be so quick to judge people’s work without knowing all the technicalities involved. We all have bad days but just so you trolls know this wasn’t one of them. Judge my work when you stand next to her in public and if she look ashy or green then come get at ya girl… f#&? Outta here… but @dcyoungfly you were funny we did laugh and thanks for treating the queen with #respect #tarajiphenson #KnowYourSh$$1st #clownasspeople #socialmediaamesssometimes #doyouhaveacareerNadontthinkso #20plusyearsinthegame #googlemebitches #blessed🙏🏾

A post shared by Ashunta Sheriff (@ashuntasheriff) on Aug 22, 2018 at 7:45pm PDT

So, her makeup artist spoke up. “Today I got roasted by social media @theshaderoom @dcyoungfly and fans let me have it and even told @tarajiphenson to fire me,” Ashunta Sheriff captioned two side-by-side pictures of Henson. One of them is the same photo the Empire star posted, the other is seemingly the same look, but less Jackson-esque. “Lighting makes a major difference in how your makeup appears,” she said before explaining why Henson looked like that in her selfie. “Taraji has a yellow undertone and in her trailer the lights are fluorescent. Where as in the #makeuptrailer the lights are natural light bulbs. Anyone who is a pro knows that fluorescent lighting will turn your skintone green and make you appear ashy.” She continued, “Furthermore makeup for TV, red carpet, editorial, film etc are all different mediums and makeup reads differently depending on the format used, cameras, lighting, background, hair color, clothing etc.”

She concluded by warning people not to come for her job. But she must have missed the comments commending the look, because there were a few. “[Y]ou’re channeling your inner MJ AND BABBBBBBBY I AM HERE FOR IT YAZZZZZ HUNNNY,” proclaimed one fan. “Still beautiful ms jackson …if ya nasty!”

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