Cosmetics giant L'Oreal is denying that it lightened the skin tone of Beyoncé Knowles for a current magazine ad, after the ad was posted on several Web sites and criticized for allegedly presenting the pop star as lighter-skinned than she is.

"We highly value our relationship with Ms. Knowles. It is categorically untrue that L'Oreal Paris altered Ms. Knowles's features or skin tone in the campaign for Feria hair color," the Paris-based company said in a statement sent to the Associated Press through the singer's representative.

On Wednesday, celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com posted the ad, which shows Beyoncé from the shoulders up, next to a recent photo of the singer. Her hair and skin tone in the photo appear slightly darker than in the advertisement.

Beyoncé's rep said the singer, who has been a spokeswoman for L'Oreal since 2001, would have no (more...)