Actress taken to task over Cecil the Lion Halloween costume
LONDON: Actress Ashley Benson has drawn the ire of social media users after posing in a “Cecil the Lion” Halloween costume and sharing the image via Instagram.
The 25-year-old star of the TV series Pretty Little Liars shared a photo of herself wearing the low-cut gold one-piece that has a faux fur hood and lion-like ears.
“Help! Can’t decide on my Halloween costume this year!” she wrote alongside the picture. “What do you guys think of this Cecil the Lion costume?”
What a lot of people thought, it turned out, was, “You have to be kidding!” Several users commented on the actress’s post that the costume was offensive and in bad taste.
Ashley soon changed her posting, removing the reference to the 13-year-old lion killed in Zimbabwe by a Min- nesota, US, dentist who paid $50 000 (R670 000) for the privilege. The killing caused an international uproar.
The costume she posed in is in fact a Deluxe Lion Costume by Yandy, which retails at $149.95. However, they also sell a skimpier version titled “Cecil the Lion Costume”, with a $118.95 price tag.
The retailer says 20 percent of the proceeds of the limited edition costume will be donated to a global conservation organisation.
Benson began her acting career at the age of 10 after landing a role on the NBC soap Days of our Lives. She went on to be cast in ABC’s Pretty Little Liars in 2009, and in 2012 she replaced Emma Roberts, who dropped out, in the film Spring Breakers. Her co-stars in the 2013 movie were James Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens. – Daily Mail