Beyoncé carries her natural hair, and social media goes crazy

Music maestro Beyoncé has rarely worn her hair in its natural state while out in public, but the “Formation” singer is now seriously stunting with her luscious locks. The Queen Bey made a surprise appearance to present the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award award to activist and NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Photo: Instagram-@beyonce

As she always does in her public appearances, Beyoncé killed the game with the look of a formidable femme fatale who was fit and flawless in a skin-tight miniskirt. 

We recall Queen Bey doing the big chop of her tresses back in 2013, opting for a shorter pixie cut. Since then, we’ve seen the mother of three floss with a multiplicity of lace front wigs – both on stage and on her plethora of date nights with husband JAY-Z. Now, it appears Beyoncé is opting to go au naturale, and her fans are fawning over the music maven’s mane.

Beyoncé’s hairstylist, Neal Farinah, popped up on Instagram on this weekend to share photos of his ultra-famous client showcasing her natural look backstage at the Sports Illustrated event on Tuesday.  

Photo: Instagram-@beyonce

Farinah made sure to caption the photos “ALL NATURAL” and “#naturalcurlyhair” sparking speculation in his comment section over whether or not Bey was wearing any clip-ins in the pictures.

“Yessss so this [is] her real hair! It grew back so luscious and full!!!,” one fan wrote. “Y’all it’s not hard to believe. She’s worn weave for years for protective styling which helps growth. Plus during pregnancy a woman’s hair and nails are [known to] grow at a fast rate,” another user chimed in.

While Black women are entitled to wear their hair however they choose, it’s empowering to see Beyoncé embracing her curly coils in the same way many other women have done. 

Photo: Instagram-@beyonce

One person said that technically Beyonce is wearing her own natural curls because she paid for the weave or the extensions that she had on at the event.

A handful of members of the Bey Hive came out to support their idol by saying that even if she is wearing extensions, the front is her natural hair and she should, therefore, be left alone.

Here are a few of the comments that made headlines on the subject

Photo: Instagram-@beyonce

A supporter shared: “I can’t deal with people! All these beautiful black women are running around here with long beautiful natural hair, and you are shocked about Beyonce. You don’t remember when she did the big chop?? Her curls then were the same. And her mom has the same curl pattern. We have to do better! Give her hair props and keep it pushing.”

Another claimed: “LMAO, pretty much but it’s not a big deal because she looks bomb per usual. But you can clearly see there are a few pieces added which is okay! Making a statement doesn’t make you a hater.”

How do you feel about the Queen Bey rocking the natural look? Do you like it? 

Khloe Kardashian Bantu Knot Hairstyle Sparking Outrage

No no, KoKo. Khloe Kardashian probably had good intentions when she tweeted a photo of her Bantu knots on Tuesday, August 9. But those intentions were ignored when the reality star, 32, failed to acknowledge the hairstyle’s storied history.

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who was clad in an Oakland Raiders T-shirt, knee-high boots and a choker embroidered with her nickname, originally captioned the picture with “Bantu babe” after celebrity stylist Justine Marjan finished the 'do. But Kardashian deleted that photo and posted another one, simply stating “I like this one better.”

However, the internet never forgets. Her deleted tweet was swiftly screengrabbed and widely circulated among angry users who accused the Strong Looks Better Naked author of cultural appropriation. “ok but give credit where it’s due :///,” @princedior responded. Other tweeters, like @HerPistolsGold, echoed the same sentiments. “it would be nice if you paid homage to the black woman culture when you do our hairstyles 🤔,” she wrote. “but Carry on ☕️💁🏿.”

Rihanna Kevin Winter/Getty

Bantu knots originated from South African Zulu tribes — a Bantu ethnic group — centuries ago. Today, Bantu knots are a natural-haired girl’s savior as they create loose, springy curls without using heat. The damp two-strand twists, which are wrapped around repeatedly to create the knots, are usually kept in for a day or so, and unraveled afterwards.

Kardashian’s not the only culprit, though. After Marc Jacobs sent models down a Spring 2015 runway with knots, popular hair blog Mane Addicts opted to rename them “mini buns” without acknowledging the origin. When Kardashian’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, Blac Chyna, Snapchatted her intricate ‘do in April, multiple outlets credited her hairstyle to Bjork and Gwen Stefaniin the ‘90s. And a beauty vlogger, Gilan Sharafani, was also forced to eat her words once she uploaded a June tutorial on obtaining big curly hair with no heat.

"After that I shared this video on my Instagram, ppl [sic] started telling me that the teqnique [sic] I was using was from Africa — WHICH IS CALLEDN [sic] Bantu Knots,” Sharafani posted that month. “I didn't knew [sic] that, till everyone startet [sic] commenting about that. If knew from the start that this technique [sic] was African, I would for sure call it Bantu Knots."

The usually outspoken Kardashian hasn’t responded to the backlash just yet. She tweeted a few indirect messages to her followers soon after she posted the photo. “You guys never disappoint! LMAO,” she wrote. “😂😂😂😂😂 I needed this 😂😂😂😂. You ain't got the answers sway.”

Her followers beg to differ. Keep scrolling to see some of social media’s most fiery responses to her risky hairdo.