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\u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d star Chase Infiniti was one of the many Black stars to wear braids on the 2026 Oscars red carpet.<\/p>\n
During one of the biggest nights in Hollywood\u2019s film industry, social media fans are divided after an E! News reporter described actress Chase Infiniti\u2019s braids as \u201calmost undone\u201d as she walked the red carpet. The \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Many Black women recognized Infiniti\u2019s\u00a0 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\u2019s hair as \u201calmost like undone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s think about this awesome almost like undone hair with the done dress. Actually, it\u2019s mirroring the ruffles on the dress, that beautiful hair,\u201d she was heard saying during the broadcast.<\/p>\n
While Rassi appeared to be complimenting the star\u2019s hairstyle, social media users quickly pointed out the echoes between her description and the way reporter Giuliana Rancic described Zendaya\u2019s faux locs during the 2015 Oscars. Eleven years ago, Rancic faced backlash<\/a> for the derogatory remarks she made about Zendaya during her Oscars debut:<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like she smells like patchouli oil or maybe weed,\u201d she said at the time.<\/p>\n The commentary, which Zendaya said \u201cleft her in awe,\u201d 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:<\/p>\n While some users debated the intent behind the word \u201cundone\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is intentional,\u201d she told Essence magazine<\/a> on the red carpet. \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019t have to show up with a silk press to every event because that\u2019s what is, I guess, palatable for people. So I think it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Infiniti was not the only star to rock braids on at the Oscars tonight. \u201cSinners\u201d director Ryan Coogler showcased the creative craftsmanship of braids <\/a>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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n