Talk about Black girl magic! Yesterday Naomi Osaka announced on her social media that she was releasing a Barbie doll with Mattel and the world went crazy! She revealed that she had been working on the endeavor since 2019 on Twitter, and she hoped that fans would look at her as a role model. Naomi tweeted, “I hope every child is reminded that they can be and do anything,” while promoting the doll that was released today!
When she made the initial announcement on Instagram, she had 4,000 people leaving comments showing support and excitement, including actresses Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, and Storm Reed. Today fans showed up and showed out to purchase the doll. According to CNN, it sold out within hours of its release. The doll that retailed at $29.99 had curly hair and wore a Nike tennis dress and a white visor. This is similar to what Naomi wore at the 2020 Australian open. Reports state that Barbie commissioned designer Carlyle Nuera to make the doll. In a statement from a press release about the doll, he spoke about his admiration for Naomi.
“Obviously, Naomi’s athletic skill is unmatched. That’s a fact,” said Carlyle in the press release. “But what I personally admire the most about Naomi Osaka is how she uses her platform, the spotlight on her and her voice, to raise awareness about social justice.” Naomi has been on a roll with Mattel, which is the second time she has partnered with the company. Previously she made an appearance in 2019 as one of their Shero dolls. The Roommates were excited but sad that they couldn’t secure the doll! One commented, “I couldn’t even get it for my daughter. Now I have to wait for the resale and pay $1,000,000,000 for it.”
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Roommates, did yall get to purchase one?
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