Joy Reid Credits Tamron Hall With Advocating For Black Hair and Makeup Artists at MSNBC

Joy Reid has been outspoken about a difficult experience she had while working at MSNBC years ago. But what she has to say about her working relationship with fellow journalist Tamron Hall and the way she stepped up for her is sure to warm your heart.

As we previously told you, Reid was abruptly fired from the network (now renamed MS Now) in February 2025, despite her having hosted two successful shows at the time, “The ReidOut” and “AM Joy.” However, before she got to the position where she’d have her own shows, she had to work her way up to the top for years.

Speaking at Derick Monroe’s Behind the Scenes Beauty Day Soirée over the weekend, where she was being honored, she revealed that part of her work in the early days at MSNBC included dealing with a hair and makeup team that didn’t understand Black skin or haircare. This, in turn, made her feel extremely self-conscious about how she was showing up onscreen, which often led to her crying at her appearance and second-guessing whether or not broadcast television was the right path.

“I walked into a media world that did not see me. I was being damaged,” Reid explained per Page Six. “Not only was my image less than it should’ve been, I was spending so much money to repair the damage that was being done to my hair, my face, my body, by people who did not know.”

She continued: “I was crying. I didn’t want to be on TV  because I didn’t look good and I didn’t feel good about myself, trying to just tell the truth and just do my job as a journalist.”

Thankfully, after confiding in Hall about her issues, she and another MSNBC employee at the time took the issue all the way to the top to get Reid the help she needed. Reid then shared how they marched into upper management’s offices and pushed for a glam team for her that could accurately do her hair and makeup in a way that was appropriate for Black folks.

Hall’s advocacy allowed Reid to rebuild her confidence during her shows and eventually gain more trust and authority at the network. Over time, Reid was able to push for more representation behind the camera and curate the types of people she needed to make sure she was presented well.

“There were no Black hair and makeup people in the studio at MSNBC. Not one! And over time, thank God I actually was good at my job, and I developed enough authority to be able to curate my own hair and makeup team,” she explained.

In addition to Hall, Reid also thanked her entire glam squad and her hairstylist, Johnny Wright, the man who also styles Hall’s hair and was the former hairstylist to former First Lady Michelle Obama.