Enhle Mbali. Image credit: OK Mzansi.
Just a week earlier, Mbali was being celebrated as the new face of Carlton Hair as the brand announced it would begin catering to Black women’s hair. But after a video surfaced of the actress referring to her hair with the k-word, she came under heavy fire over the weekend for using a derogatory term to describe thick, textured hair.
Mbali expressed a “heartfelt apology,” explaining that she did not intend to demean African women. She further added that the terminology was common used in a non-malicious way where she grew up. She equated the use of the term in her space to African Americans using the N-word.
In a follow-up interview with The Citizen on September 15, Mbali reiterated her apology but stood firm that she has no regrets. She said that as a Black woman, she feels she has the “every right” to comfortably say and reclaim the word. She said, “I am liberated, and that word means nothing to me anymore. Using it in comfort is a testament that I have conquered that journey.”.
Carlton Steps Back From Partnership with Mbali
Amid the backlash, Carlton Hair distanced itself from the actress, stating there was no room in the brand for language that “perpetuates ethnic derogation or harmful stereotypes.”. The company added that they condemn and apologise that Mbali’s comments do not align with their values nor the “natural beauty we proudly champion,”.
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