Deandre Arnold, the high school student who was suspended for refusing to cut his dreadlocks, arrived at the 92nd Oscars as “Hair Love” director Matthew A. Cherry’s guest.

Cherry and Gabrielle Union, who produced the Oscar-nominated animated short “Hair Love,” along with beauty brand Dove, invited Arnold and his mother Sandy to the Oscars after his story went viral. Arnold, a senior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, made national news when he was sent to in-school suspension and told he would not be able to walk at graduation unless he cut his dreadlocks to meet the dress code. His family and members of the Black Lives Matter organization attended a school board meeting, but were unable to voice their disagreement with the dress code when the board members chose not to bring up the topic at all.

Dove sponsored his tickets to the Oscars and his wardrobe, as well as hair and makeup for his family, while Union and Dwyane Wade sponsored the family’s travel and hotel.

His story quickly garnered support from celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, who invited him on her show, where he was given $20,000 by Alicia Keys. Dove tweeted out its support for Arnold with the hashtag #IStandWithDeAndre “as proud supporters of the CROWN Act,” which stands against discrimination based on hairstyles.

Dove✔@Dove

DeAndre Arnold is an important reminder of why #TheCROWNAct was created. Visit http://TheCrownAct.com  to learn why we need it in all 50 states.

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As Variety previously reported, Union was booted as a judge from “America’s Got Talent” after apparently complaining about a toxic work environment. Sources said Union received multiple complaints that her hairstyles were “too black” for the “AGT” audience before she was fired, and her exit has prompted an internal investigation at the reality competition series

.Young man from Texas told to cut his dreadlocks or miss graduation walks Oscars red carpet

MONT BELVIEU, Texas — A young man from Texas whose hair stirred both controversy and support walked the red carpet at the Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 9.

Deandre Arnold, a senior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, and his mother, Sandy, were invited to attend as the guest of director Matthew A. Cherry, whose “Hair Love” was one of the front-runners for the Best Animated Short Oscar.

“It’s truly an honor to have the platform to be able to invite Deandre and his family as our guest to the Oscars next Sunday,” Cherry told CNN. “Deandre is such a good kid, and he shouldn’t be punished for his hair, and we love that he didn’t bend to the pressure to cut it. We think his hair is beautiful, and this is the least we could do to support him, and show him love.”

Arnold, 18, was told he needed to cut his dreadlocks to comply with his school’s dress code or he would not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Cherry’s film follows a black father who is attempting to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. He launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 to get the film made. It went viral, and he has a “Hair Love” children’s book with illustrations by Vashti Harrison.

A former NFL football player who has found success in Hollywood directing films and TV shows including “Black-ish” and “The Last O.G.,” Cherry is the second former professional athlete to be nominated for an Academy Award in recent years after Kobe Bryant.

Bryant won in 2018 for Best Animated Short for “Dear Basketball,” which was based on a poem he wrote.

On Friday, Feb. 7, Cherry tweeted a segment from “CBS This Morning” where he and the film’s producers, actress Gabrielle Union and her husband, NBA star Dwyane Wade, shared the news with Arnold and his mother.

Dove is providing “full wardrobe and glam for the big night,” Cherry said.

Many rallied around Arnold, and Cherry used his case to call for the passage of the CROWN Act, which would ban discrimination nationwide against people because of their hair.

Arnold appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where the host announced her support and gave him a $20,000 scholarship.

Arnold was blown away by the Academy Awards invitation and told “CBS This Morning,” “My mom deserves any special treatment she gets. She deserves this. She’s been working so hard, on the computer day and night, just to try and help me get my word out. When you have people like this in your corner, there’s no way you can lose. No way.”