The Truth Behind Rachel Dolezal's Hair

The Rachel Dolezal scandal has been a front-page news item on websites around the world for the last week, and there's one question that's been at the back of everyone's mind: How exactly did the former NAACP chapter president do her hair? NBC News' Amber Payne finally got the answer we've all been looking for — Rachel Dolezal's hair is a weave.

Payne, who is managing editor of the NBCBLK website, asked her the question during their interview, which Dolezal originally tried to deflect. "This right here?" she asked, pointing to her hair. "You're just gonna out me like that?"

While Dolezal's hairstyles vary in pictures taken over the years, her most recent look is natural hair. So, when Payne pushed her for the answer, she admitted her hair is a weave she does herself. She said other styles she's had over the years, like dreadlocks and braids, have also been her handiwork. After all, she claims to be an "ethnic hair stylist."

The NBC News interview is one of several Dolezal has been doing over the past several days. On Today this morning, she told Matt Lauer she "identifies as black," and has since she was a child. A second interview, with NBC Nightly News' Savannah Guthrie, will answer more questions when it airs tonight.

Image: NBC News Video