Patrick Mahomes Refers to His Hair as ‘Nappy’ While Commenting on His Haircut, Sparks Backlash on Social Media

Patrick Mahomes‘ comments on his new haircut are sparking backlash online.

In an April 23 interview with KCTV 5, Mahomes debuted a new shorter haircut. In the interview, he says, “I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but it was kind of one of those superstitions. I kept winning the Super Bowl, which is a good thing, but I didn’t want to cut the hair while I was doing it.”

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback then said, “I told everybody during the season that win or lose, if we win three in a row or if we lose, I’m getting a haircut like that’s enough.”

He elaborated, “I’m very excited. I’ve looked at some videos from last year and I can’t believe all you guys let me keep that nappy hair for so long. I look way better now with the short hair, so I’ll be keeping this going forward.”

The clip, which was shared to X, is now inviting comments criticizing Mahomes’ use of the term “nappy.” One commenter wrote, “him saying ‘nappy’ just doesnt sit well with me.” Another wrote, “self hate is a real thing in that crowd.”

The term “nappy” originated as a derogatory term for Black peoples’ textured hair dating back to the first slave ships in the American colonies in the 17th century, per NPR. Mahomes is biracial, and some commenters found his remarks insensitive following past comments that have led the public to believe his family supports President Donald J. Trump’s administration.

The president’s administration has issued sweeping policies targeting marginalized communities, all under the umbrella of Project 2025. Mahomes previously stated that he did not wish to publicly endorse a candidate, instead saying that he hoped to “inform people to vote” and “do their own research.”

However, his wife Brittany Mahomes sparked backlash for liking an Instagram post on Trump’s official account. Brittany, 29, hit back at those criticizing her for allegedly supporting the president’s 2024 campaign, writing, “I mean honestly. To be a hater as an adult, you have to have some deep-rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood.”

The August 2024 Instagram Stories post continued, “There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.”

Mahomes is close friends with the Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, who is in a relationship with Taylor Swift. During the 2024 presidential election, Swift publicly endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.

In response, the president called Brittany, a “big Trump fan” during a phone interview with Fox & Friends last September. “Well, I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better, if you want to know the truth,” he said, before adding, “I was not a Taylor fan.”