‘We Did It First’: LisaRaye Calls Out Kylie Jenner for Copying Dress

Across the internet, many are debating who wore the Schiaparelli Haute Couture lion-head dress best. Gawking at how Kylie Jenner reacted to model Irina Shayk seeming to wear the same outfit at the brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show, actress-turned-talk show host LisaRaye McCoy chimed in with her own twist. She said, “forget who wore it best … folk need to ask, ‘who wore it first?’”

The answer, she would say, should be Ms. McCoy.

The “Player’s Club” actress posted a side-by-side video comparison on her Instagram.

In one video, Jenner appeared in the stunning lion-head-accented black dress, walking with paparazzi snapping from every angle. Next to that video was one of McCoy wearing her customary all-white look with a lion-head accessory on one shoulder as she posed with a friend on a 360-camera rotating base at a birthday party for her sister Da Brat. Da Brat was born on April 14, 1974, but McCoy did not mention when she wore the breathtaking look.

LisaRaye calls out Kylie Jenner for copying dress and fans bring up King Jaffe in “Coming to America.”

What she did say is that Jenner “copied” her.

In the caption of her post, she said, “Yes @adrejhono YOU all plus bestie @kevinarnett did this look on meeeeeeee and it slayed!!! It’s nice to see others @kyliejenner copy and try to duplicate it in there way but we did it 1st baby.”

McCoy continued to break it down, writing, “Since we’re trending maybe we all need to get together and come up with something for someone to be inspired by……again!” 

Some people joked that even McCoy was not the first to rock the look, saying in the comments, “Let’s be clear, King Jaffe Joffer did it first!”

Fans piled on saying, “Right, they must’ve forgotten,” “EXACTLYYYY,” and making it clear, “Ruth Carter styled them so it was her idea! Being extra technical.”

Others might be thinking, “Well, who is this King Joffer?

His Excellency, Ruler for Life King Jaffe Joffer, Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Zamunda, in Particular, is a character from the movie “Coming to America” and made famous by James Earl Jones, and he donned the faux lion over-the-shoulder look in 1988.

While some people questioned why she would make the post, commenting, “This is very weird flex as if a stylist and a designer didn’t dress her,” and adding, “tagging her was weird as well,” others said it was a needed laugh, believing McCoy was just being sassy.

 One fan, __nikki37__ wrote, “needed this laugh today. I’ve been too tense since that Tyre video. Thank you”

The person the Instagram follower was referencing was Tyre Nichols, a young man seen on video being beaten by five Black officers in Memphis. He died due to injuries sustained in the violent incident this month. The officers have been indicted and charged with his death.  

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top