John Boyega has hit out at Sky News over an article on their website seemingly comparing a traditional African hairstyle to coronavirus.
On Saturday morning, the Star Wars actor took issue with the news outlet over a piece published by them on Monday, with the headline: “Spiky coronavirus haircut growing in popularity in Africa - here’s why.”
The article in question refers to a technique which uses threaded yarn to style hair, claiming it has had a resurgence in popularity in Kenya due to “financial struggles linked to the coronavirus restrictions… along with raising awareness that Covid-19 is real”.
John was made aware of the article at the weekend, and responded to a Sky News tweet with the message: “You lot lost your damn mind putting this on the internet. Which hairstyle did you just call spiky coronavirus haircut? Are you guys okay?”
He continued: “The media need to make sure they do research before wiring articles like this. Ya fackin dummies.”
John also quote-tweeted a post from Ghanaian actress Lydia Forson, who wrote: “1. Africa is a continent NOT a country. 2. This is not a haircut it’s African threading.
“3. You knew full well what the lady meant, but pushed this headline and angle for your racist satisfaction. 4. You’re encouraging the demonisation of black hairstyles.”
“Honestly!!!” John added.
The Sky News article in question features a quote from a mother in Kenya, who told the news outlet that she chose the hairstyle for her daughter because “money is scarce” as a result of the pandemic, saying: “The hairstyle also helps in communicating with the public about the virus.”
HuffPost UK has contacted Sky News for comment.
John Boyega is best known for his role as Finn in the most recent Star Wars trilogy, also appearing in films like Pacific Rim: Uprising and the dystopian drama The Circle.