The Important Reason Rihanna Chose to Wear Her Hair in Locs in ‘Ocean’s 8’

There is a lot to look forward to in “Ocean’s 8.” The all-female cast! The fashion! The hair! Rihanna! The star-studded heist movie, which also stars Sandra Bullock, Anne Hathaway, and a ton of other boss women, premieres on Friday, but secrets are already slipping through—mainly when it comes to Rihanna’s fabulous locs.

In an interview with Refinery29, the 30-year-old longtime hairstylist, Yusef Williams, revealed that it was Rihanna’s idea to wear locs in “Ocean’s 8.” You see, in the movie, Rihanna stars as Nine Ball, a crazy intelligent hacker who proves crucial in a heist to rob millions of diamonds from the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

In addition to its all-female cast, “Ocean’s 8” is also known for its diversity, with actors of color such as Mindy Kaling and Awkwafina in film’s main crew. So when you watch the movie and see Rihanna with locs, which are usually swept up in a fashionable head wrap, and hear her with her natural Barbadian accent, that isn’t a slip in her acting—it’s a conscious choice.

Source: Instagram

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Williams explained that Rihanna was adamant about wearing locs and keeping her Caribbean accent to nod to her Barbadian background and show viewers that there millions of diverse people in America, especially in New York City, where the film is set.

“We thought it would be strong,” Williams told Refinery29. “Her locs would maintain that tie to Africa. She’d keep her accent. She wasn’t just going to be some American girl in this movie. Nine Ball is still a Caribbean girl that just happens to be in America.”

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So in addition to watching out for dozens of celebrity cameos in the movie (we hear that some of the Kardashians will make appearances), be sure keep an eye out for Rihanna’s locs and accents, which she fought to keep in “Ocean’s 8.”