Fact Check: Did this model make it to Guinness for her dark skin tone?
Several websites claimed that Guinness World Records recognised Nyakim Gatwech, an American model of South Sudanese descent, as the “darkest skin ever seen on earth
Nyakim Gatwech, an American model of South Sudanese descent, has caught global attention for her stunning and unconventional beauty. According to several websites, this 27-year-old model, also known as “Queen of the Dark” is worth $4 million for her “beautiful dark skin tone”.
But has the Guinness World Records recognised her as the “darkest skin ever seen on earth”? Several websites and Facebook users claim so.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be false. Guinness World Records has refuted the claim, calling it fake. The book does not keep records for skin tone.
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The viral post, along with a picture of Gatwech, reads, “It’s not art work on black stone or granite. She is Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech. The rarest black beauty. She enters Guinness Book of World record for the darkest skin ever seen on earth. She is also known as ‘QUEEN OF DARK’.”
The archived versions of the posts can be seen here and here. Multiple Facebook users have made the same claim.
AFWA probe
Since the claim was made against Guinness World Records, we checked its website as to whether there is an entry against skin tone, but found no information on this.
We then checked the Twitter account of Guinness World Records and found that on April 28 this year, it had refuted the viral claim in reply to a tweet by @iChopTweets. Calling it a “Fake news alert”, it tweeted, “Guinness World Records does not monitor records for skin tone.”
Twitter handle @iChopTweets later aplogised for the “wrong information” in a reply to Guinness World Records on the same thread. The user also claimed that he had contacted Gatwech about the viral “information” and pasted the screenshot of the purported conversation between them.
Therefore, it is confirmed that the viral claim of international model Nyakim Gatwech entering Guinness World Records for the darkest skin ever seen on earth is wrong. The book does not monitor records for skin tone.
