Jennifer Lawrence's March cover of Vanity Fair is said to be an 'embarrassment'.

The Red Sparrow actress, 27, gazes to the right with parted lips and a beam of sunlight illuminating the right side of her face in the photograph.

But the picture is 'painfully close' to The Hollywood Reporter's December cover featuring a similarly sultry Lawrence according to New York Post.

Adding to the apparent 'ripoff' status, an earlier version of Vanity Fair's cover featured big letters across the bottom of the page 'in almost exactly the same, boxy font as the Hollywood Reporter had used.'

According to insiders, Vanity Fair's editor Radhika Jones was 'caught scrambling in recent days to at least switch out the fonts in a bid to minimize the embarrassment.'

However, Vanity Fair has not commented on the similarities and downplayed any 'crisis' regarding the cover.

'We’re delighted with our gorgeous cover of Jennifer Lawrence shot by renowned photographers Inez and Vinoodh,' a VF spokesperson said. 

'The image captures the essence of the story, and we stand by it. As with any cover, different options and layouts were considered during the editorial process. 

'There was never any discussion of reshoots, and to suggest there is any kind of crisis here is ridiculous.'

This is the second month in a row that the esteemed fashion rag has mismanaged its cover shoot.

The Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair last month featured Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon among other celebrities.

Although the pictures are undoubtedly stunning, there appears to be not one but two major Photoshopping mistakes that went unnoticed before publication. 

In one of the images, Oprah has a hand on her hip, a hand on her lap, and then a third hand wrapped around Reese's waist. 

And Reese appeared to have three legs as she sat on Oprah's lap.