‘Forget the haters’: David Lammy and Naomi Campbell support Adele amid cultural appropriation row

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David Lammy and Naomi Campbell have expressed support for Adele after the singer was accused of cultural appropriation for sharing a photograph of herself wearing a traditional African hairstyle and a Jamaican flag bikini top.

The singer posted the photo on Sunday in honour of Notting Hill Carnival, which took place as a virtual event this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London,” she wrote in the caption.

While some people praised the singer for her look in the comments section below and on Twitter, many others criticised her for styling her hair in Bantu knots, a hairstyle typically worn as a protective hairstyle for women with Afro-textured hair.

“If 2020 couldn’t get anymore bizarre, Adele is giving us Bantu knots and cultural appropriation that nobody asked for,” tweeted one person.

“This officially marks all of the top white women in pop as problematic. Hate to see it.”

However, many famous faces have since defended Adele over the accusations, including Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, who tweeted in response to a critical article: “’Poppycock! This humbug totally misses the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival and the tradition of ‘dress up’ or ‘masquerade’.”

Meanwhile, supermodel Campbell expressed her support for Adele’s post by commenting below with a series of heart emojis and emojis of the Jamaican flag.

The actor Zoe Saldana also commented: “You look right at home guurrrl.”

Many Twitter users also defended the singer, with people claiming that she grew up surrounded by Jamaican culture in Tottenham and has always been a vocal supporter of Notting Hill Carnival.

“Remember Adele grew up in Tottenham, Ldn, surrounded by Jamaican culture [sic],” tweeted one person.

“For many kids, reagardless of their family origins, it was ingrained in their language, fashion, food not just music. With Adele we know it’s coming from a good place, with love and respect.”