The King Richard premiere was a full-circle moment in more ways than one for Venus Williams. During the AFI Fest in Los Angeles on Nov. 14, the tennis star celebrated the release of the biographical film about her father and first coach, Richard Williams. For the occasion, Williams wore her hair in a high ponytail braid with beaded face-framing braids that were a nod to beads she and Serena often wore to matches at the start of their careers.
Williams confirmed as much in a red carpet interview with Access. “A lot of people ask me, ‘Are you gonna wear beads again?’ And I’m like, no, in African-American culture, kids usually wear beads. I was a kid when I wore them . . . Today, it was a fun moment to bring it all back, and to do it in a Nefertiti, Cleopatra, adult kind of style.” Williams added, “It’s one night only.”
Browse photos of the brief return of Williams’s signature hairstyle ahead.
Related: Take a Look at the King Richard Cast Side by Side With Their Real-Life Counterparts
