A Brief History of Famous Women Shaving Their Heads
Move over,ย Rapunzel hair. More and more famous women are cutting their hair super short. In the past year or so,ย Kristen Stewartย emerged with a blonde buzz cut, Sanaa Lathanโs head became completely hair-free, and Danai Gurira shaved it all off forย Black Panther.
This isnโt exactly new. Itโs said that wealthy women inย ancient Egypt shavedย 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, hereโs a look at the celebrity women whoโve gone bald and why they did it.
Grace Jones When:ย Late '70s Why:ย In her memoir, Jones explained why she got razor-happy: โIt made me look hard, in a soft world. It made me look more ...
Grace Jones When:ย Late '70s Why:ย In her memoir, Jones explained why she got razor-happy: โIt 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 โ 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 โ as a model, a girl, a daughter, an American, a West Indian, a human being.โ Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Sinรฉad O'Connor When:ย Late '80s
Why:ย OโConnor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. โI got put into the record b... Sinรฉad O'Connor When:ย Late '80s
Why:ย OโConnor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. โI got put into the record business at a time when record executives were a little frisky. Put it that way,โ OโConnor said. โThey wanted me to grow my hair really long and wear miniskirts and all that kind of stuff because they reckoned Iโd look much prettier. So I went straight around to the barber and shaved the rest of my hair off.โ Photo: RONCEN Patrick/Sygma via Getty Images
Why:ย OโConnor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. โI got put into the record b... Sinรฉad O'Connor When:ย Late '80s
Why:ย OโConnor explained the impetus behind her shaved head in a 2014 interview with Oprah. โI got put into the record business at a time when record executives were a little frisky. Put it that way,โ OโConnor said. โThey wanted me to grow my hair really long and wear miniskirts and all that kind of stuff because they reckoned Iโd look much prettier. So I went straight around to the barber and shaved the rest of my hair off.โ Photo: RONCEN Patrick/Sygma via Getty Images
Sigourney Weaver When:ย 1991
Why:ย Because long hair might get in the way of defeating that angry alien. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why:ย Because long hair might get in the way of defeating that angry alien. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Alek Wek When:ย Mid '90s
Why:ย 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:ย Mid '90s
Why:ย Because she wanted to. Wek used her hair to break down beauty standards. While walking in a Betsey Johnson show in 1998, sheย ripped off her blonde wigย and threw it to the crowd, as if to say: โIโm beautiful as I am.โ Photo: 2012 Getty Images
Why:ย 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:ย Mid '90s
Why:ย Because she wanted to. Wek used her hair to break down beauty standards. While walking in a Betsey Johnson show in 1998, sheย ripped off her blonde wigย and threw it to the crowd, as if to say: โIโm beautiful as I am.โ Photo: 2012 Getty Images
Demi Moore When:ย 1996
Why:ย 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:ย 1996
Why:ย 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.ย G.I. Janeย may have been a critical failure, but Mooreโs hair was a hit. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why:ย 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:ย 1996
Why:ย 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.ย G.I. Janeย may have been a critical failure, but Mooreโs hair was a hit. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Cate Blanchett When:ย 2000
Why:ย More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002โsย Heaven. In an ... Cate Blanchett When:ย 2000
Why:ย More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002โsย Heaven. In an interview with theย Daily Telegraph, Blanchett explained that this was not her first foray into baldness: โShaving off my hair is so liberating. I had to do it once for a film role, but Iโve done it periodically too.โ Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why:ย More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002โsย Heaven. In an ... Cate Blanchett When:ย 2000
Why:ย More of the same story here. Blanchett played a role that pitted her against a drug cartel boss in 2002โsย Heaven. In an interview with theย Daily Telegraph, Blanchett explained that this was not her first foray into baldness: โShaving off my hair is so liberating. I had to do it once for a film role, but Iโve done it periodically too.โ Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Erykah Badu When:ย 2001
Why:ย Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. Itโs not clear why she shaved her head, but she exp... Erykah Badu When:ย 2001
Why:ย Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. Itโs not clear why she shaved her head, but she explain toย Essenceย that she stopped wearing wraps after an encounter with aย Santeria priest.ย โI realized it wasnโt necessary anymore,โ she told the magazine.โThat man was from a long line of healers and he didnโt 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. Thatโs when I was freed and began to evolve. I began to focus on being more in here than out there.โ Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why:ย Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. Itโs not clear why she shaved her head, but she exp... Erykah Badu When:ย 2001
Why:ย Around the same time Erykah Badu ditched headwraps, she also went bald. Itโs not clear why she shaved her head, but she explain toย Essenceย that she stopped wearing wraps after an encounter with aย Santeria priest.ย โI realized it wasnโt necessary anymore,โ she told the magazine.โThat man was from a long line of healers and he didnโt 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. Thatโs when I was freed and began to evolve. I began to focus on being more in here than out there.โ Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Amber Rose When:ย 2002
Why:ย Amber Roseโs blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinรฉad OโConnor. "I was inspired by her. And I grew u... Amber Rose When:ย 2002
Why:ย Amber Roseโs blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinรฉad OโConnor. "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:ย Amber Roseโs blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinรฉad OโConnor. "I was inspired by her. And I grew u... Amber Rose When:ย 2002
Why:ย Amber Roseโs blonde shave was influenced by another famous woman: Sinรฉad OโConnor. "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:ย 2005
Why:ย Portmanโsย V for Vendettaย character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldnโt do.... Natalie Portman When:ย 2005
Why:ย Portmanโsย V for Vendettaย character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldnโt do. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Why:ย Portmanโsย V for Vendettaย character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldnโt do.... Natalie Portman When:ย 2005
Why:ย Portmanโsย V for Vendettaย character was forced to shave her head as punishment. Faking it with a cap simply wouldnโt do. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.
Ellen Page When:ย 2005
Why:ย Page played a runaway teen in the filmย Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ยฉArtis... Ellen Page When:ย 2005
Why:ย Page played a runaway teen in the filmย Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ยฉArtistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection/ยฉArtistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection
Why:ย Page played a runaway teen in the filmย Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ยฉArtis... Ellen Page When:ย 2005
Why:ย Page played a runaway teen in the filmย Mouth to Mouth. The part appears to have required a razor to the scalp. Photo: ยฉArtistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection/ยฉArtistic License/Courtesy Everett Collection
Britney Spears When:ย 2007
Why:ย It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But herย former manager claim... Britney Spears When:ย 2007
Why:ย It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But herย former manager claimedย she was actually trying to foil an upcoming drug test. Photo: Copyright ยฉ 2017 BACKGRID, Inc.
Why:ย It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But herย former manager claim... Britney Spears When:ย 2007
Why:ย It's often thought that Britney was simply expressing her inner turmoil with a radical cut. But herย former manager claimedย she was actually trying to foil an upcoming drug test. Photo: Copyright ยฉ 2017 BACKGRID, Inc.
Willow Smith When:ย 2010
Why:ย Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smithโs shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her โWhip My ... Willow Smith When:ย 2010
Why:ย Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smithโs shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her โWhip My Hairโ 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 Zโs โfootnotesโ 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.'โ Photo: 2012 Taylor Hill
Why:ย Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smithโs shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her โWhip My ... Willow Smith When:ย 2010
Why:ย Pre-teen rebellion was the driving force for Willow Smithโs shaved head. Eleven-year-old Smith wanted to end her โWhip My Hairโ 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 Zโs โfootnotesโ 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.'โ Photo: 2012 Taylor Hill
Mel B When:ย 2010
Why:ย Mel B technically didnโt shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 20... Mel B When:ย 2010
Why:ย Mel B technically didnโt shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 2010 Getty Images
Why:ย Mel B technically didnโt shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 20... Mel B When:ย 2010
Why:ย Mel B technically didnโt shave all of her hair, but she still had a fairly dramatic cut. Spices are anything but bland. Photo: 2010 Getty Images
Cassie When:ย 2012
Why:ย A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? โI just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she sa... Cassie When:ย 2012
Why:ย A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? โI just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she said in an interview. Photo: 2012 Venturelli
Why:ย A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? โI just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she sa... Cassie When:ย 2012
Why:ย A little more of the same here. Why did she do it? โI just wanted to do something for me that kind of set me apart," she said in an interview. Photo: 2012 Venturelli
Vivienne Westwood When:ย 2014
Why:ย "Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to Climate Change," a spokesperson for the fashion veteran ex... Vivienne Westwood When:ย 2014
Why:ย "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 โ to show she's proud of her age." Photo: 2014 Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho
Why:ย "Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to Climate Change," a spokesperson for the fashion veteran ex... Vivienne Westwood When:ย 2014
Why:ย "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 โ to show she's proud of her age." Photo: 2014 Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho
Kate Hudson When:ย 2017
Why:ย Hudson is starring in an upcoming movie directed by Sia, and part required the big chop.
Why:ย Hudson is starring in an upcoming movie directed by Sia, and part required the big chop.
Kristen Stewart When:ย 2017
Why:ย Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave toย Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? โItโs practical.โ Photo: 2017 ... Kristen Stewart When:ย 2017
Why:ย Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave toย Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? โItโs practical.โ Photo: 2017 Venturelli
Why:ย Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave toย Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? โItโs practical.โ Photo: 2017 ... Kristen Stewart When:ย 2017
Why:ย Is there a better reason than the one Stewart gave toย Willie Geist and Savannah Guthrie? โItโs practical.โ Photo: 2017 Venturelli
Danai Gurira When:ย 2017
Why:ย Guriraโs role inย Black Pantherย called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit thatโ... Danai Gurira When:ย 2017
Why:ย Guriraโs role inย Black Pantherย called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit thatโs tasked with protecting a king. Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images
Why:ย Guriraโs role inย Black Pantherย called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit thatโ... Danai Gurira When:ย 2017
Why:ย Guriraโs role inย Black Pantherย called for a totally bald look. In the film she leads an all-lady special forces unit thatโs tasked with protecting a king. Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images
Amandla Stenberg When:ย 2017
Why:ย Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film calledย W... Amandla Stenberg When:ย 2017
Why:ย Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film calledย 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:ย Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film calledย W... Amandla Stenberg When:ย 2017
Why:ย Stenberg explained why she shaved her head in a caption on Instagram. "I just finished working on a film calledย 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:ย 2017
Why:ย The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the filmย Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she... Cara Delevingne When:ย 2017
Why:ย The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the filmย Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she actually volunteered, despite objections from her agent and manager. She told Elleย that she found it to be โliberating.โ Photo: 2017 Jason LaVeris
Why:ย The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the filmย Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she... Cara Delevingne When:ย 2017
Why:ย The model-cum-actress plays a woman battling cancer in the filmย Life in a Year. No one asked her to shave her head: she actually volunteered, despite objections from her agent and manager. She told Elleย that she found it to be โliberating.โ Photo: 2017 Jason LaVeris
Sanaa Lathan Sanaa Lathan Photo: @sanaalathan/Instagram
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