Vanessa Hudgens's Box Braids Called Out for Cultural Appropriation

Neha Prakash
Updated

By Neha Prakash. Photos by: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images, and courtesy of SnapChat and Instagram.

Vanessa Hudgens is yet again being accused of cultural appropriation, but this time for her new braided hairstyle.

The actress showcased her controversial new do on Snapchat over the weekend in a series of selfies, one captioned "yaaas braids." The hairstyle has made waves recently, after several white celebrities, models, and fashionistas began sporting the look, calling it "box braids."

Naturally, many took to the Internet, reminding the world that "box braids" were just a blatant and highly offensive appropriation of cornrows.

The hairstyle, Buzzfeed reports, is most likely a wig.

Despite the outcries, Hudgens had not removed any of the snaps as of time of publication, but we will update this post should anything change.

Social media mostly condemned the actress for her hairstyle, while some fans defended Hudgens, saying she didn't mean it to be disrespectful.

Related: Watch hairstylist Sam McKnight in action

This isn't the first time Hudgens has been accused of cultural appropriation. She's previously faced backlash for wearing controversial accessories and outfits that are offensive to Native American and Indian communities.

Listen, we're all for being inspired, especially when it comes to drawing style and beauty ideas from other cultures. It's one thing to appreciate, but another to show it off as a costume of sorts, don't you think?

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This story originally appeared on Allure.

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