New photos of Sammy Sosa attending an awards event in Las Vegas hit the web over the weekend, and the former baseball slugger looked quite different, to say the least. His skin appeared to be several jarring shades lighter, causing some to speculate that he had bleached his skin like Michael Jackson was rumored to have done.

We were psyched to learn that L’Oreal hired “Slumdog Millionaire”‘s Freida Pinto as its latest spokesperson. This is the first shot from the upcoming ad campaign. She looks ... lighter. L’Oreal, have you learned nothing from the Beyonce debacle? [via Daily Mail U.K.]

Update: L’Oreal sent us this statement:

“L’Oréal Paris is thrilled to have Freida Pinto as a new spokesperson. The photo that accompanied our announcement is an existing publicity photo of Freida provided to L’Oréal by her management as we have yet to begin our initial project with her (or commenced any photography to date.) We are looking forward to working with Freida on her first L’Oreal campaign, which will take place in the near future.”

 

Yesterday, we reported the controversy surrounding L’Oreal Paris’ latest Feria hair color ad featuring spokesperson Beyonce with lighter skin and a pointier nose. The ad, which is in the Sept. issues of Essence, Elle and Allure, created a stir among celebrity bloggers who definitely noticed a change in Beyonce’s appearance. As expected, L’Oreal Paris issued a statement denying any altering of her skin or features, but does not offer any explanation for the pretty obvious difference in her appearance. A representative for Beyonce said the entertainer would have no comment other than L’Oreal’s statement. Her tight lips on the subject don’t come as a shocker, though, because she very rarely comments on anything. [Newser]