During one of the biggest nights in Hollywood’s film industry, social media fans are divided after an E! News reporter described actress Chase Infiniti’s braids as “almost undone” as she walked the red carpet. The “One Battle After Another” star graced the red carpet in a custom lilac Louis Vuitton gown adorned with cascading ruffles, a natural glam look, and boho knotless braids styled by celebrity hairstylist Coree Moreno.
Many Black women recognized Infiniti’s loose-curl, braid combination as a popular protective style; many raised a collective brow when E! News commentator, reportedly Zanna Roberts Rassi, described the young actress’s hair as “almost like undone.”
“Let’s think about this awesome almost like undone hair with the done dress. Actually, it’s mirroring the ruffles on the dress, that beautiful hair,” she was heard saying during the broadcast.
While Rassi appeared to be complimenting the star’s hairstyle, social media users quickly pointed out the echoes between her description and the way reporter Giuliana Rancic described Zendaya’s faux locs during the 2015 Oscars. Eleven years ago, Rancic faced backlash for the derogatory remarks she made about Zendaya during her Oscars debut:
“I feel like she smells like patchouli oil or maybe weed,” she said at the time.
The commentary, which Zendaya said “left her in awe,” ignited waves of discourse online at the time, calling out the stereotypes often associated with Black hair and the continuous trend of how misunderstood Black hair is in mainstream media. Fast forward almost a decade later, and social media users are shocked to see similar conversations arise:
While some users debated the intent behind the word “undone” and whether it was offensive in this context, Infiniti, who has consistently worn natural hairstyles throughout awards season, shared the intention behind her red carpet hair choices.
“It is intentional,” she told Essence magazine on the red carpet. “I’m in this very fortunate place where I have an incredible team around me, and we can showcase curls in their full beauty and also show that, like, they can be dressed up, and you don’t have to show up with a silk press to every event because that’s what is, I guess, palatable for people. So I think it’s important to showcase our hair and the versatility of our hair, because we can do so much with it, like even getting to do braids today.”
Infiniti was not the only star to rock braids on at the Oscars tonight. “Sinners” director Ryan Coogler showcased the creative craftsmanship of braids on the carpet. Coogler paid homage to musical storytelling in his award-winning film through his cornrows, which formed a musical note and a guitar.
