“This is a hate crime”: Sally Beauty’s now deleted TikTok post featuring Black influencer leaves internet divided

Sally Beauty recently came under fire for featuring a black influencer in a now-deleted TikTok post. In the viral video, the black influencer was seen straightening her seemingly untouched 4C hair with a flat iron. As soon as social media users came across this, they reacted to it by saying that "this is a hate crime."

In the video, the influencer, who identifies her hair as textured 4C, talks about the beauty brand's innovative approach. However, social media users did not share the same feelings about the product, and the post received massive criticism online.

On Instagram, users expressed their discontent, with one user stating:

"Bye Sally's!"

Criticism was not limited to the brand alone, as some users targeted the influencer in the video. A social media user reacted by saying,

"Y'all mad at them but not mad at her for getting up there performing like a damn clown. Girl, that hair is fried, dried, and laid to the mf side bye."

The backlash extended to the influencer's technique, with comments like "sizzling like a fajita took me out." Some people also highlighted that the influencer should have done a "better job."

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Sally Beauty did not release a public statement about the situation

Despite the uproar, the beauty brand has not issued a public statement addressing the situation. The silence from the brand has only fueled the backlash, with users demanding an official response. Although the brand deleted the video after the initial wave of criticism, it was shared on Instagram by the Shade Room, leading to a new phase of backlash targeting both the beauty brand and the influencer.

Some social media users reacted by calling out the beauty brand, while others reacted by saying that the black woman did not even comb her hair and was just randomly trying to do something.

Internet users' reaction (Image via Instagram/@theshaderoom)

Social media users reaction (Image via Twitter/@theroutineskin)

Internet users react to the viral video ( (Image via Twitter/@theroutineskin))

The criticism has spilled over to Sally Beauty's latest Instagram post, which highlights multiple black beauty founders.

It is also worth noting that, according to Sally Beauty's website, this beauty company is the world's largest distributor and retailer of professional beauty products, boasting over 3,700 stores in 12 countries.

The brand's website mentions that they have a presence in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Chile, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. Sally Beauty serves both retail consumers and salon professionals.

Sally Beauty received criticism during Black History Month. For the unversed, Black History Month is observed in the month of February every year to spread awareness about the history and achievements of African Americans.