Larsa Pippen of The Real Housewives of Miami (RHOM) is again in the news for her controversial box braid hairstyle.
The 48-year-old, who rose to prominence on the show in season one in 2011, is known for her love of the braided style, which is a protective hairdo rooted in African culture and primarily used by Africans and the African diaspora.
For years, the style has been a hot issue of discussion, especially as an increasing number of white women prefer to wear it for fashion without understanding its cultural importance. In fact, Teen Vogue revealed how a Black Zara employee was informed her braids were “unprofessional” at work, which has happened to hundreds, if not thousands, of Black women.
So, when Pippen wore cascading braids as a fashion statement while on an RHOM cast trip to the Bahamas, it became a topic of discussion.
People flocked to the comments section after Pippen shared a photo on Instagram to criticize his braids, with one person commenting, “take those damn braids out.”
During the show’s much-anticipated reunion episode – which is frequently broken into three episodes depending on the level of tension and cattiness between the women – host Andy Cohen read out some questions from viewers to the women.
Typically, these questions are used to spark animosity between cast members or, in this case, to make them accountable for their behavior.
“Watching the tease for the season, I noticed you were sporting braids in the Bahamas,” Cohen asked Pippen, via People. “Fashion-wise, you can pull it off. But do you think it’s really culturally appropriate? I think you’re going to get a lot of backlash.”
The mother of four, who is of Syrian, Lebanese, and Moroccan descent but was raised in Chicago, responded, “I mean, I’m not White.” So I’m not sure – my mother used to wear braids.”
She then stated that she hires a braider to come to her house regularly to braid her children’s hair, whom she shares with African-American NBA player Scottie Pippen.
She said that she had her hair braided so she wouldn’t have to “deal with it” on the trip. “Every ten days, I have a braider come in and braid my kids’ hair…My son has had braids for the previous four years […] “I’m going on a trip, and I don’t want to deal with my hair, so I’ll have her braid it,” Pippen explained.
“My grandparents are Moroccan. My mom had braids when she was a kid. I’ve been braiding my hair every time I’ve gone on vacation since I can remember. My honeymoon pictures, my hair was braided. When I was 18 years old, my hair was braided. I’ve always worn braids when I travel,” she also remarked.
Pippen’s 23-year marriage to Scottie ended in 2021, and she has been vocal about her current relationship with Michael Jordan’s 32-year-old son Marcus Jordan. Many fans find this relationship unsettling, given that Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls alongside Pippen’s ex-husband during the 1980s and 1990s.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t understand… I just met him a few years ago. I never met him before,” she told Cohen during the reunion.
