i think you are overthinking the situation. this is more like a shitty photographer's fault than Coindest releasing this photo with the purpose of removing the woman out of the photo, and it doesn't look like a photoshopped picture either.
No matter how shitty the photographer is, the editor still has eyes and can see the woman is cut out.
maybe she wanted to not get with the other? she could have asked for that, if she occupy another position, in comaprison with those other guys, it could make sense