Natalie Reynolds is in the spotlight once again, but not for reasons she’d hoped. The 26-year-old influencer is facing major backlash after debuting a braided hairstyle, reigniting conversations about cultural appropriation. While some defended her look, previously worn by Kim Kardashian and inspired by 1970s Hollywood icon Bo Derek, others weren’t as forgiving. The controversy quickly spiraled beyond her hairstyle, bringing up Reynolds’ past scandals, including her infamous ‘Lady in the Lake’ incident, where she dared a homeless woman to jump into a lake for $20, only to run when the woman screamed for help.
Now, the internet isn’t letting her forget. Critics are flooding her content with copy-paste messages reminding everyone of her questionable past, and despite Reynolds posting a tearful apology, many aren’t buying it. Adding to the drama, she’s still wearing an ankle monitor after a judge ruled her a danger to society following the lake incident. As Reynolds threatens to quit social media if the criticism doesn’t stop, the question remains—is the internet being too harsh, or is this just the reality of accountability?
Now, the internet isn’t letting her forget. Critics are flooding her content with copy-paste messages reminding everyone of her questionable past, and despite Reynolds posting a tearful apology, many aren’t buying it. Adding to the drama, she’s still wearing an ankle monitor after a judge ruled her a danger to society following the lake incident. As Reynolds threatens to quit social media if the criticism doesn’t stop, the question remains—is the internet being too harsh, or is this just the reality of accountability?
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Natalie Reynolds is breaking down online after going viral again, but this time, it's not
00:05just about the influencer's braids.
00:08From cultural appropriation to a scandal that left her with an ankle monitor, the internet
00:12isn't letting her move on.
00:14Let's break it down.
00:16Natalie Reynolds' viral moments include her making fun of controversial TikTok mom
00:20Ashley Trevino, asking black women in public if her braids were cultural appropriation,
00:25and falsely claiming she is Ryan Reynolds' daughter.
00:28Now, the 26-year-old influencer is viral once again for her braided hairstyle, which
00:33has been worn before by Kim Kardashian, both of whom took inspiration from 1970s Hollywood
00:38icon Bo Derek.
00:40In 2018, Kardashian, who was married to Kanye West at the time, received criticism after
00:45posting a video on Snapchat wearing cornrows and saying,
00:49"'So guys, I did Bo Derek braids and I'm really into it," referencing the hairstyle
00:54worn by actress Bo Derek in the 1979 film 10.
00:58But it seems Reynolds didn't learn from Kardashian's controversy, as the influencer took to social
01:03media sporting braids in a gold bathing suit, flawlessly recreating Bo Derek's iconic beach
01:08shoot.
01:09But that's not the only reason people are calling out the influencer.
01:12The backlash from Reynolds' braid video quickly reopened old wounds, bringing up her
01:17infamous Lady and the Lake scandal, a stunt where she dared a homeless woman to jump into
01:22a lake, only to run when the woman started shouting out for help.
01:25And now…
01:26Please stop commenting this.
01:29Nothing bad happened to the lady.
01:31This comment keeps happening.
01:32I'm going to quit social media and go back to school.
01:34I'm tired of it.
01:36According to the New York Post, last year, Reynolds paid a woman $20 to jump into a lake
01:42as part of her social media content.
01:49The report states the Austin Fire Department was called to Lady Bird Lake to provide medical
01:54assistance and that a person was pulled out of the water.
01:57Reynolds received immediate backlash, but that didn't seem to stop her from creating
02:01more controversial content, or from reposting the viral lake moment with Reynolds' side
02:05of the story.
02:06Now fans and critics aren't letting her live down her mistake, as a copy-paste message
02:11floods her content, with multiple users reposting, quote,
02:15Natalie Reynolds dared a homeless woman, who can't swim, to jump into a body of water
02:20for $20.
02:21When the woman started screaming for help, Natalie and her friends ran away and left.
02:26And let's not forget, Reynolds is still wearing an ankle monitor after a judge ruled
02:30her a danger to society following the incident.
02:33Natalie has once again posted a public apology, but the public is still reminding her they
02:44are not okay with what she did.
02:45But what do you think?
02:46Is the internet being too harsh?
02:48Or is this just the reality of social accountability?
02:51Let us know in the comments and follow us everywhere at What's Trending.