Coco Gauff drops 8-minute response to Miu Miu hair controversy after facing rampant criticism

Coco Gauff released a shocking 8-minute response addressing the backlash to her Miu Miu campaign. The American star spoke out in defense of her natural hair and used the moment to stand up against the criticism faced by Black individuals.

The controversy around Gauff and Miu Miu started after their latest campaign began circulating online. While many fans loved seeing her step into the fashion space, the reaction quickly turned negative on social media.

A lot of the criticism was focused on her hair. Gauff chose a simple, natural look, where she put her hair in a bun, but some comments were unnecessarily harsh and crossed the line. Some users made offensive comparisons between the tennis star’s look and historical civil rights imagery, which many found deeply inappropriate.

Initially, Gauff did not respond publicly. However, after returning to X following a month-long break, she came across the negative comments and called them out. A few days later, she addressed the backlash more directly, sharing an 8-minute video response on TikTok.

The two-time Grand Slam champ explained that the photoshoot was a simple setup in her parents’ backyard. The outfit choice, she made clear, was entirely hers.

“First of all, it’s Miu Miu. That’s their aesthetic. I love the Miu Miu aesthetic. So if you don’t like it, the girls who get it, get it. The girls who don’t, don’t. I picked the outfit out,” she said.

She also addressed comments about her hair, explaining why she chose the natural bun.

“I personally don’t like to slick back my hair super sleek because it does damage my hair.”

She added that she prefers to let her “4C hair” be natural, especially as a tennis player. Gauff emphasized representation as well, saying:

“I’m not going to apologize for the way that my hair looks… There are other girls who have the exact same hair as me.”

She added that if her hair was good enough for a high-fashion campaign, “then yours is good enough” too.

“Black people are beautiful” – Coco Gauff’s positive message to people after Miu Miu controversy

The latter half of Coco Gauff’s response video was filled with positive messages. She explained that people who criticize others are insecure about themselves, and no one should pay much heed to such criticism.

Sharing a beautiful and positive message for black people, Coco Gauff said:

“Black people are beautiful. Black hair texture, kinky afro hair texture is beautiful. You don’t need people on the internet who don’t like themselves, who are insecure about themselves to tell you that. Because, people who are secure will also find my shoot beautiful.”

On the tennis side of things, Gauff is gaining momentum in 2026. She started slowly but has reached the semifinal in Dubai and the final in Miami recently. She lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final in Miami, but will move into the clay season with confidence as she looks to defend her French Open title.