Alicia Keys shocks Texas teen with $20K on ‘Ellen’ after he’s told to cut dreads

A Texas teen who was told to cut his dreadlocks in order to walk at graduation just got quite the gift on “The Ellen Show” — a check for $20,000.

Earlier this month, news broke that Deandre Arnold, 18, had been placed in in-school suspension at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu because he refused to cut his dreadlocks, McClatchy News reported.

School officials said the issue wasn’t with Deandre’s dreadlocks, but with their length; his hair isn’t allowed to touch his collar per the school dress code.

While Deandre consistently wore his hair — which is a nod to his Trinidadian heritage — tied up, school officials said that wasn’t good enough, McClatchy News reported.

If he doesn’t cut it, he won’t be allowed to walk at graduation.

Deandre Hopkins of the Houston Texans expressed his support for the teen in a Twitter post and now Ellen DeGeneres has gotten involved.

Deandre appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ — which will air Wednesday afternoon — to discuss the ordeal.

“Everyday I would go to school I would always be in dress code, but the thing with them is if it was let down it would be out of dress code,” Deandre said on the show.

Ellen responded that she didn’t understand why girls could sport long hair at school while Deandre couldn’t.

Deandre explained that if he goes back to school without chopping his dreadlocks, he has one of two options: in-school suspension or alternative school with students who have behavioral issues.

In a statement to KPRC, Superintendent Greg Poole emphasized that the school would take the same course of action when any other student.

“He is absolutely permitted to come back to school,” he told the outlet. “Now, full clarification, if he’s in violation what we would do with him is what we’d do with any student is he could possibly go into in-school suspension.”

He also expressed disappointment at the prospect of not being able to walk across the stage to receive his high school diploma.

“I’ve worked for this all my life, I’ve struggled for this,” he said in the video posted on the Ellen Show’s YouTube page. “I deserve this moment to walk across the stage and enter into life; my parents deserve this.”

Ellen ultimately turned toward the camera to address the school, pleading with them to allow Deandre to walk at graduation.

“I am begging you... This kid is a good kid, he deserves to graduate, to walk with all the other kids,” she said. “He’s a good guy.”

Then, Ellen beckoned singer Alicia Keys out from backstage, the video shows. Keys emerged with a check from Shutterfly made out to Deandre — who wants to be a veterinarian — for a cool $20,000.

“You’re destined already for such greatness and we wanted to support that greatness and invest in that greatness,” Keys said in the video.

Deandre was visibly moved before standing up to thank Keys with a hug.

But before the segment ended, Ellen had one more message for the school system: “Change your mind,” she said.

This story was originally published January 29, 2020 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Alicia Keys shocks Texas teen with $20K on ‘Ellen’ after he’s told to cut dreads."