Sophie Turner brought her dark Lara Croft-era glamour to the Ballon d'Or, but not everyone was ready to hand her the trophy for best transformation. The 30-year-old actress attended the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony at London's Palladium Theatre on Monday, 26 October, dressed head-to-toe in Louis Vuitton. Turner paired a sleek all-black trouser suit with pointed pumps and her dramatically darker brunette hair worn loosely.
Turner's look launched debates into multiple directions, and the conversation soon travelled beyond her hair and makeup. After one Reddit user declared that the dark colour 'really doesn't suit her', another pointed towards her upcoming role as Lara Croft. The response was brutal: 'It's for her role as Lara Croft, which also doesn't suit her'.
Sophie Turner's Ballon d'Or Look Gets Fans Talking
Turner's monochromatic look came from Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2026 collection, with the actress adding the fashion house's Luna pumps and a Le Damier de Louis Vuitton necklace. The Game of Thrones star attended as a Louis Vuitton ambassador and later took the stage alongside football legend Alan Shearer to present the men's and women's striker awards.
Despite being dressed like a woman who means business in a power suit, her darker hair did not get a unanimous vote of confidence. Some fans simply were not sold on the combination. One Reddit user argued that Turner looked better with her previous brighter hair colours, while another described the darker shade and black suit together as less flattering.
Others pointed their fingers elsewhere. 'I love the hair color on her! I think it is the makeup that is "off" for me', one person wrote. Another blamed the event lighting, while someone else thought the darker styling gave Turner 'witchy vibes'.
The transformation also had viewers spotting celebrity doppelgängers everywhere. Young Madonna, Uma Thurman, Courteney Cox, and Carrie-Anne Moss were among the names thrown into the conversation.
Then Lara Croft Entered the Chat
Turner's brunette transformation has naturally drawn comparisons with her next major character. Prime Video unveiled the first official look of Turner as Lara Croft in January, showing the actress sporting dark hair and donning the archaeologist's iconic green tank top, shorts, red-tinted glasses, and twin pistols.
Turner was officially confirmed for the role in September 2025, becoming the latest actress to take on the video game heroine after Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander portrayed Croft on the big screen. Phoebe Waller-Bridge created and wrote the upcoming Tomb Raider series, with Turner joined by a cast including Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs.
Unfortunately for Turner, bringing Lara energy into the Ballon d'Or discussion did not exactly end the criticism. After one commenter guessed that Turner's dark hair was connected to her Lara Croft role, the original poster agreed with the criticism of her casting, adding, 'Not really her lane'.
Others came to her defence. One fan said the dark hair looked 'really striking' on Turner, while another declared, 'I think she's beautiful with dark hair too and I'm tired of the slanderrrr'. Someone who had seen Turner's Lara Croft promotional images also said they thought she looked 'great' in them.
Whether everyone loves the darker look or not, Turner has certainly accomplished one Lara Croft speciality already: uncovering something people are willing to fight over.
