Hair Love won the honor of Best Animated Short Film at the 2020 Oscars and the team behind the critically-acclaimed film brought a special guest for the night: DeAndre Arnold, the Texas teen who was suspended and told he couldn't walk at his graduation unless he cut off his dreadlocks.
On Sunday night (February 9), Arnold joined Gabrielle Union, 47, and Dwyane Wade, 38, producers on the film, at the ceremony after the power couple invited the high school senior and his mother to accompany them via a video message, which was originally aired on CBS This Morning. "When we heard the amazing story of a young black father with long beautiful locks just trying to figure out how to do his daughter’s hair, we knew that we had to support any way we could, we had to get involved any way we could," Union said in the clip, referencing the plot of Hair Love. "The same way as when we heard about your story and you just wanting to wear your hair the way you want at school."
Arnold, who was also joined by director Matthew A. Cherry, showed off his locks on the carpet, rocking a black suit with blue lapels. On the evening before, Arnold also joined the duo during Academy Awards pre-festivities.
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