People admits altering photo

People magazine acknowledged Monday it altered an image of Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette on its cover, moving them closer together to make room for headlines.

The photo also was changed to extend the shrubs behind the pair to “improve readability of the text,” the magazine said in a statement. “In retrospect, we would probably reconsider these changes.”

The magazine said in the statement that it “would never use images to create a situation that did not exist.” A spokeswoman for the magazine declined to comment further.