Coco Gauff’s reaction to criticism of her Vogue photoshoot was emotional because the comments did more than question the quality of an image. They made her reconsider how she looked in a photograph she had initially felt good about.
The controversy concerned Vogue’s April 2024 cover, photographed by Annie Leibovitz. It resurfaced after a clip from the fashion podcast The Cutting Room Floor circulated online. In the clip, host Recho Omondi dismissed the Gauff image as “not beautiful,” prompting Gauff to respond that the criticism made her cry and could have been expressed with more care.
What appeared in Vogue’s April 2024 issue?
Gauff appeared on the cover of Vogue’s April 2024 issue. The magazine published its accompanying online profile on March 6, 2024. Annie Leibovitz photographed the cover and editorial images, with styling by Tabitha Simmons.
The cover showed Gauff wearing a Michael Kors Collection dress and an Ana Khouri ear cuff. Although the shoot presented the tennis player in a high-fashion setting, some viewers objected to the way the photographs were lit and composed. Online criticism focused particularly on Leibovitz’s treatment of Black women, with some commenters drawing comparisons to earlier criticism of the photographer’s Vogue cover featuring gymnast Simone Biles.
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That distinction matters. The initial issue was not a public dispute between Gauff and Vogue, nor was there evidence that the magazine criticized its own cover. The negative reaction came from social-media users and fashion commentators.
How the podcast clip reignited the criticism
The story returned to public attention through a viral clip from The Cutting Room Floor, a fashion podcast hosted by designer and commentator Recho Omondi. Omondi was speaking with celebrity stylist Law Roach, who had previously wanted Annie Leibovitz to photograph Zendaya for Vogue.
Roach said he thought Gauff’s photograph was beautiful. Omondi disagreed immediately.
“No, it wasn’t. I’m stressed. Coco is a no.”
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Her comments were made while discussing both Gauff’s April 2024 cover and Zendaya’s May 2024 Vogue cover. Omondi also said she would not trust Leibovitz to photograph her and described the photographer’s recent work as lacking beauty.
Although the discussion was aimed at the photography and image-making, its language connected the quality of the photograph directly to the person shown in it. That became the central issue for Gauff.
What Coco Gauff said
Gauff responded in the comments on the podcast’s social-media post. She said the criticism made her cry and asked commentators to think about the feelings of people who appear in the images they discuss.
“I understand your take but when criticizing please consider the people in the cover’s feelings. To say it wasn’t beautiful is a tad bit mean, just say you felt it could be captured better.”
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In a further explanation reported from her response, Gauff said she had initially felt beautiful when she saw the image. Reading the criticism changed how she viewed it. She also wrote that she knew she was not a model or “the prettiest,” and suggested that critics identify specific technical problems instead—such as harsh lighting or an unflattering angle.
Gauff did not describe the image as her favorite photograph of herself. Her point was more nuanced: she could recognize its weaknesses and still consider it beautiful. The wording used by critics, she suggested, made that personal judgment harder to maintain.
Why “not beautiful” felt personal
Photography criticism often uses technical language. A reviewer may object to the lighting, composition, lens choice, styling, pose, retouching or editing. Those comments assess the decisions made during a shoot.
But a photograph of a real person does not exist as an abstract object. The subject has a face, reputation and emotional connection to the final image. Saying that a portrait is badly lit is different from saying that the image is not beautiful, particularly when the latter is delivered in a blunt public conversation.
| Type of criticism | What it addresses | Why it can matter to the subject |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting | How light shapes the face, skin tone and mood | It may affect whether the subject recognizes or likes the image |
| Composition | Framing, pose and visual balance | It evaluates the photographer’s choices rather than the person’s worth |
| Angle | The position of the camera and the subject | It can explain why a portrait feels unflattering without insulting the subject |
| “Not beautiful” | A broad judgment about the finished image | The subject may hear it as a judgment about their own appearance |
Gauff’s response was therefore not a demand that everyone admire the cover. She accepted that people could dislike it. Her request was for criticism to separate the image’s execution from the beauty or dignity of the person pictured.
The podcast’s clarification
The The Cutting Room Floor account replied that Gauff was gorgeous and that the criticism had been directed at the way the photographs were shot, not at Gauff as a person.
Gauff acknowledged that explanation but said the point could have been communicated more thoughtfully. That exchange narrowed the disagreement. The podcast was defending an artistic opinion; Gauff was explaining the effect that opinion had on the subject of the photograph.
Neither side needed to argue that the image was objectively beautiful or objectively poor. The disagreement was also about responsibility: how fashion professionals and commentators talk about portraits when the person being evaluated can read every word.
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A simple timeline
- March 6, 2024: Vogue published its online profile of Gauff.
- April 2024: Gauff appeared on the magazine’s cover, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
- After publication: Social-media users criticized aspects of the images, including the lighting and treatment of Black women.
- Later: A clip from The Cutting Room Floor revived the debate. Recho Omondi rejected Law Roach’s description of the Gauff photograph as beautiful.
- Gauff’s response: She said the comments made her cry and asked critics to use more precise language.
- Podcast clarification: The account said the criticism concerned the photography, not Gauff’s appearance or character.
What the controversy was—and was not
The controversy was about the Annie Leibovitz photographs used for Gauff’s Vogue cover and editorial. It was not a verified claim that Vogue or Leibovitz called Gauff ugly. Gauff’s public response was aimed at third-party commentary, especially the podcast discussion.
It is also more accurate to describe the emotional language carefully. Some coverage characterized Gauff as heartbroken, but “heartbroken” was not the exact wording of her principal public comment. She said that she cried, felt hurt by the criticism and wanted commentators to consider the feelings of people appearing in the images.
This incident should not be confused with Gauff’s separate 2026 response to criticism of her natural hair and styling in a Miu Miu campaign. That was a different fashion campaign and did not involve Vogue or the Leibovitz cover.
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What did Coco Gauff say about the Vogue photoshoot criticism?
Gauff said the criticism made her cry and asked people to consider the feelings of those appearing in the images. She wrote that saying the photograph was not beautiful was mean, and suggested that critics explain how the image could have been captured better.
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Who photographed Coco Gauff’s Vogue cover?
Annie Leibovitz photographed Gauff’s cover and accompanying editorial for Vogue’s April 2024 issue.
Was the criticism made by Vogue?
No. The criticism came from social-media users and a discussion on The Cutting Room Floor podcast. There is no verified indication that Vogue publicly criticized its own cover.
Did Coco Gauff say Annie Leibovitz called her ugly?
No. Gauff did not say that Vogue or Leibovitz called her ugly. Her response addressed outside commentary describing the photograph as unsuccessful or “not beautiful.” The podcast later clarified that its criticism targeted the photography rather than Gauff herself.
When was Coco Gauff’s Vogue cover published?
The cover was for Vogue’s April 2024 issue. The magazine’s online profile was published on March 6, 2024.
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Coco Gauff’s reaction was about the human cost of aesthetic criticism. She did not insist that everyone praise her Vogue cover, and she acknowledged that it was not her favorite photograph of herself. She argued instead that critics should identify problems with lighting, composition or angles rather than use language that can sound like a verdict on the person in the frame.
The episode shows why portrait criticism is rarely impersonal. For the audience, a magazine cover may be an image to assess. For the person photographed, it can also be a reflection of identity, confidence and how they believed they looked that day.
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