The Essence Black Women in Hollywood 2026 luncheon just took place, and the theme, “Off-Script,” centered on taking back ownership in Hollywood, was epitomized on the “blue” carpet.
Held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 12, the annual pre-Oscars luncheon — now in its 19th year — brought together some of Black Hollywood’s brightest stars to honor and celebrate Kerry Washington, Chase Infiniti, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Zinzi Coogler, along with the rest of the women of Sinners and Black women across Hollywood.
Other notable attendees included Sheryl Lee Ralph, Michael B. Jordan, Chloe Bailey, Coco Jones, Tyrese, Laverne Cox, Niecy Nash-Betts and her wife, Jessica Betts, Kandi Burruss and her daughter, Riley, and Zendaya, whose look was among the most talked about the following day.
The 29-year-old actress sauntered onto the blue carpet sporting a new cropped bob and wearing a slinky, one-shoulder white vintage Eugene Alexander mini dress adorned with a massive gold-and-white sculptural flower at the shoulder, channeling none other than the late, legendary Whitney Houston, who wore the same dress during a 1987 photoshoot. The dress was later cemented in pop culture history when Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw famously wore it in the opening scene of the 2008 “Sex and the City” film.
This also marks the second time this year that Whitney Houston has been referenced in fashion. During the Super Bowl, when Jones performed the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” she wore a look inspired by the windbreaker Houston wore during her iconic 1991 national anthem performance.
Zendaya’s Houston homage wasn’t the only part of her look that had people talking. “The Drama” star, who is both rumored to be married to actor Tom Holland and currently starring in a film about a bride, also flashed what appeared to be a wedding ring on her left ring finger. It was spotted on the blue carpet and again at the luncheon, where, according to circulating footage, host Marsai Martin even had a playful call-out moment, prompting the actress to use her ring-clad hand to cover her face as the crowd laughed and applauded. (I love us so much!)
Now this could be another clue that, after her longtime stylist Law Roach said “you missed it,” implying her wedding to Holland may have already happened, she is in fact married. But one thing about Zendaya when she has a film to promote, Roach loves to devise heavily themed looks inspired by the project. A bridal look, complete with a wedding ring, could just as easily be more sartorial promotion for “The Drama,” which she stars in alongside Robert Pattinson in a wedding-week-from-hell type of plot. Time will tell.
Other blue carpet standouts included Washington, who arrived in a pale pink slip gown accented with a black leather jacket; Infiniti, who wore a black off-the-shoulder gown featuring oversized ruffles and a dramatic gold chain detail draped from her wrist; Bailey, who wore a multicolored avant-garde strapless bodice gown; and reality TV star turned style icon Olandria Carthen, who wore a gold sequin long-sleeve gown with a deep V neckline.
Much of what happened during the ceremony has yet to be seen, but during the tribute to the women of “Sinners,” which Ryan Coogler and Jordan were on hand for, Jordan is seen sweetly kissing Wunmi Mosaku’s belly in circulating footage. Again, this is a moment that carries more meaning than meets the eye. Jordan and Mosaku’s characters, who are estranged romantic partners in “Sinners,” experience the loss of a child, and he reconnects with that child in a spiritual way during the film’s climax.
The rest of the ceremony will begin streaming on Essence’s YouTube channel on Saturday, March 14!
