A Brief History of Famous Women Shaving Their Heads
Move over, Rapunzel hair. More and more famous women are cutting their hair super short. In the past year or so, Kristen Stewart emerged with a blonde buzz cut, Sanaa Lathan’s head became completely hair-free, and Danai Gurira shaved it all off for Black Panther.
This isn’t exactly new. It’s said that wealthy women in ancient Egypt shaved in an effort to prevent lice (though they also wore wigs). In more recent history, Grace Jones shaved her head in social protest. Whether the reasons involved a movie role, a crisis, or the lofty goal of saving the planet, here’s a look at the celebrity women who’ve gone bald and why they did it.
Grace Jones When: Late '70s Why: In her memoir, Jones explained why she got razor-happy: “It made me look hard, in a soft world. It made me look more ...
Grace Jones When: Late '70s Why: In her memoir, Jones explained why she got razor-happy: “It made me look hard, in a soft world. It made me look more like a thing than a person, but that was how I had felt I was treated growing up — as a thing, without feeling, an object, not even human. Without fully understanding it at the time, I savored the response to what I did to myself, by breaking certain laws about how I was meant to behave and look — as a model, a girl, a daughter, an American, a West Indian, a human being.” Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Sinéad O'Connor When: Late '80s
Why: O’Connor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. “I got put into the record b... Sinéad O'Connor When: Late '80s
Why: O’Connor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. “I got put into the record business at a time when record executives were a little frisky. Put it that way,” O’Connor said. “They wanted me to grow my hair really long and wear miniskirts and all that kind of stuff because they reckoned I’d look much prettier. So I went straight around to the barber and shaved the rest of my hair off.” Photo: RONCEN Patrick/Sygma via Getty Images
Why: O’Connor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. “I got put into the record b... Sinéad O'Connor When: Late '80s
Why: O’Connor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. “I got put into the record business at a time when record executives were a little frisky. Put it that way,” O’Connor said. “They wanted me to grow my hair really long and wear miniskirts and all that kind of stuff because they reckoned I’d look much prettier. So I went straight around to the barber and shaved the rest of my hair off.” Photo: RONCEN Patrick/Sygma via Getty Images
Sigourney Weaver When: 1991
Why: Because long hair might get in the way of defeating that angry alien. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why: Because long hair might get in the way of defeating that angry alien. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Alek Wek When: Mid '90s
Why: Because she wanted to. Wek used her hair to break down beauty standards. While walking in a Betsey Johnson show in 1998, s... Alek Wek When: Mid '90s
Why: Because she wanted to. Wek used her hair to break down beauty standards. While walking in a Betsey Johnson show in 1998, she ripped off her blonde wig and threw it to the crowd, as if to say: “I’m beautiful as I am.” Photo: 2012 Getty Images
Why: Because she wanted to. Wek used her hair to break down beauty standards. While walking in a Betsey Johnson show in 1998, s... Alek Wek When: Mid '90s
Why: Because she wanted to. Wek used her hair to break down beauty standards. While walking in a Betsey Johnson show in 1998, she ripped off her blonde wig and threw it to the crowd, as if to say: “I’m beautiful as I am.” Photo: 2012 Getty Images
Demi Moore When: 1996
Why: Paid $4 million to star as the first women to join an elite, fictional version of the Navy SEALs, Moore shaved off all her h... Demi Moore When: 1996
Why: Paid $4 million to star as the first women to join an elite, fictional version of the Navy SEALs, Moore shaved off all her hair per the tough-lady actress trope. G.I. Jane may have been a critical failure, but Moore’s hair was a hit. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why: Paid $4 million to star as the first women to join an elite, fictional version of the Navy SEALs, Moore shaved off all her h... Demi Moore When: 1996
Why: Paid $4 million to star as the first women to join an elite, fictional version of the Navy SEALs, Moore shaved off all her hair per the tough-lady actress trope. G.I. Jane may have been a critical failure, but Moore’s hair was a hit. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Cate Blanchett When: 2000
Why: More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002’s Heaven. In an ... Cate Blanchett When: 2000
Why: More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002’s Heaven. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Blanchett explained that this was not her first foray into baldness: “Shaving off my hair is so liberating. I had to do it once for a film role, but I’ve done it periodically too.” Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why: More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002’s Heaven. In an ... Cate Blanchett When: 2000
Why: More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002’s Heaven. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Blanchett explained that this was not her first foray into baldness: “Shaving off my hair is so liberating. I had to do it once for a film role, but I’ve done it periodically too.” Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Erykah Badu When: 2001
Why: Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. It’s not clear why she shaved her head, but she exp... Erykah Badu When: 2001
Why: Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. It’s not clear why she shaved her head, but she explain to Essence that she stopped wearing wraps after an encounter with a Santeria priest. “I realized it wasn’t necessary anymore,” she told the magazine.”That man was from a long line of healers and he didn’t have to look like one. He was born with it. No matter what he did or what he said, no one could take that away from him. That’s when I was freed and began to evolve. I began to focus on being more in here than out there.” Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why: Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. It’s not clear why she shaved her head, but she exp... Erykah Badu When: 2001
Why: Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. It’s not clear why she shaved her head, but she explain to Essence that she stopped wearing wraps after an encounter with a Santeria priest. “I realized it wasn’t necessary anymore,” she told the magazine.”That man was from a long line of healers and he didn’t have to look like one. He was born with it. No matter what he did or what he said, no one could take that away from him. That’s when I was freed and began to evolve. I began to focus on being more in here than out there.” Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Amber Rose When: 2002
Why: Amber Rose’s blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinéad O’Connor. "I was inspired by her. And I grew u... Amber Rose When: 2002
Why: Amber Rose’s blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinéad O’Connor. "I was inspired by her. And I grew up in Philly ... Eve was really popular, and my friends said, 'Please don't do it, Amber, you're gonna look crazy.' And, of course, me being me, I rebelled against everyone and went straight down the middle at a barber shop. Fourteen years later, I still have it." Photo: 2016 C Flanigan
Why: Amber Rose’s blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinéad O’Connor. "I was inspired by her. And I grew u... Amber Rose When: 2002
Why: Amber Rose’s blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinéad O’Connor. "I was inspired by her. And I grew up in Philly ... Eve was really popular, and my friends said, 'Please don't do it, Amber, you're gonna look crazy.' And, of course, me being me, I rebelled against everyone and went straight down the middle at a barber shop. Fourteen years later, I still have it." Photo: 2016 C Flanigan
Natalie Portman When: 2005
Why: Portman’s V for Vendetta character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldn’t do.... Natalie Portman When: 2005
Why: Portman’s V for Vendetta character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldn’t do. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why: Portman’s V for Vendetta character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldn’t do.... Natalie Portman When: 2005
Why: Portman’s V for Vendetta character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldn’t do. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Ellen Page When: 2005
Why: Page played a runaway teen in the film Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ©Artis... Ellen Page When: 2005
Why: Page played a runaway teen in the film Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ©Artistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection/©Artistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection
Why: Page played a runaway teen in the film Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ©Artis... Ellen Page When: 2005
Why: Page played a runaway teen in the film Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ©Artistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection/©Artistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection
Britney Spears When: 2007
Why: It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But her former manager claim... Britney Spears When: 2007
Why: It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But her former manager claimed she was actually trying to foil an upcoming drug test. Photo: Copyright © 2017 BACKGRID, Inc.
Why: It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But her former manager claim... Britney Spears When: 2007
Why: It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But her former manager claimed she was actually trying to foil an upcoming drug test. Photo: Copyright © 2017 BACKGRID, Inc.
Willow Smith When: 2010
Why: Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smith’s shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her “Whip My ... Willow Smith When: 2010
Why: Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smith’s shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her “Whip My Hair” tour early, but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears. So she took matters into her own hands. Will Smith explained how he found out that his daughter shaved her hair on Jay Z’s “footnotes” to 4:44: "We came downstairs and she had shaved her head bald," he remembered. "I'm looking at that girl and I'm like, 'Got it. I understand. You will not have this trouble out of me ever again. Let's go, baby. We can go.'” Photo: 2012 Taylor Hill
Why: Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smith’s shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her “Whip My ... Willow Smith When: 2010
Why: Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smith’s shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her “Whip My Hair” tour early, but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears. So she took matters into her own hands. Will Smith explained how he found out that his daughter shaved her hair on Jay Z’s “footnotes” to 4:44: "We came downstairs and she had shaved her head bald," he remembered. "I'm looking at that girl and I'm like, 'Got it. I understand. You will not have this trouble out of me ever again. Let's go, baby. We can go.'” Photo: 2012 Taylor Hill
Mel B When: 2010
Why: Mel B technically didn’t shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 20... Mel B When: 2010
Why: Mel B technically didn’t shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 2010 Getty Images
Why: Mel B technically didn’t shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 20... Mel B When: 2010
Why: Mel B technically didn’t shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 2010 Getty Images
Cassie When: 2012
Why: A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? “I just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she sa... Cassie When: 2012
Why: A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? “I just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she said in an interview. Photo: 2012 Venturelli
Why: A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? “I just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she sa... Cassie When: 2012
Why: A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? “I just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she said in an interview. Photo: 2012 Venturelli
Vivienne Westwood When: 2014
Why: "Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to Climate Change," a spokesperson for the fashion veteran ex... Vivienne Westwood When: 2014
Why: "Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to Climate Change," a spokesperson for the fashion veteran explained, adding, "And secondly she wanted to cut the red out for a while and have it white — to show she's proud of her age." Photo: 2014 Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho
Why: "Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to Climate Change," a spokesperson for the fashion veteran ex... Vivienne Westwood When: 2014
Why: "Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to Climate Change," a spokesperson for the fashion veteran explained, adding, "And secondly she wanted to cut the red out for a while and have it white — to show she's proud of her age." Photo: 2014 Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho
Kate Hudson When: 2017
Why: Hudson is starring in an upcoming movie directed by Sia, and part required the big chop.
Why: Hudson is starring in an upcoming movie directed by Sia, and part required the big chop.
Kristen Stewart When: 2017
Why: Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave to Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? “It’s practical.” Photo: 2017 ... Kristen Stewart When: 2017
Why: Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave to Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? “It’s practical.” Photo: 2017 Venturelli
Why: Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave to Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? “It’s practical.” Photo: 2017 ... Kristen Stewart When: 2017
Why: Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave to Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? “It’s practical.” Photo: 2017 Venturelli
Danai Gurira When: 2017
Why: Gurira’s role in Black Panther called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit that’... Danai Gurira When: 2017
Why: Gurira’s role in Black Panther called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit that’s tasked with protecting a king. Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images
Why: Gurira’s role in Black Panther called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit that’... Danai Gurira When: 2017
Why: Gurira’s role in Black Panther called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit that’s tasked with protecting a king. Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images
Amandla Stenberg When: 2017
Why: Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film called W... Amandla Stenberg When: 2017
Why: Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film called Where Hands Touchdirected by the incredible @iammaasante," she wrote. "The story is about the experience of biracial children growing up in Nazi Germany. I shaved my head for the role. Feels really good." Photo: 2017 Gregg DeGuire
Why: Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film called W... Amandla Stenberg When: 2017
Why: Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film called Where Hands Touchdirected by the incredible @iammaasante," she wrote. "The story is about the experience of biracial children growing up in Nazi Germany. I shaved my head for the role. Feels really good." Photo: 2017 Gregg DeGuire
Cara Delevingne When: 2017
Why: The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the film Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she... Cara Delevingne When: 2017
Why: The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the film Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she actually volunteered, despite objections from her agent and manager. She told Elle that she found it to be “liberating.” Photo: 2017 Jason LaVeris
Why: The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the film Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she... Cara Delevingne When: 2017
Why: The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the film Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she actually volunteered, despite objections from her agent and manager. She told Elle that she found it to be “liberating.” Photo: 2017 Jason LaVeris
Sanaa Lathan Sanaa Lathan Photo: @sanaalathan/Instagram
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