Britney Spears' Bold Act: The Reason Behind Her Head-Shaving Incident in 2007
In the early 2000s, Britney Spears made headlines when paparazzi captured her shaving her head.
Recently, she has shed light on the reasoning behind this shocking act in her new memoir, “The Woman in Me.”
At the time of the incident in 2007, Spears was 25 years old and had just checked into a rehab facility.
But what led her to take hold of the razor in that Los Angeles salon?
According to the 41-year-old pop icon, it was a defiant gesture aimed at the world.
In her memoir, Spears explains that her decision to shave her head was a way of giving a resounding “F— you” to the world.
After her marriage to Kevin Federline ended in 2006, her personal life was thrust into the public eye with a highly publicized divorce.
Additionally, her every move and appearance were heavily scrutinized by the media and the public.
Spears writes, “My long hair was a big part of what people liked – I knew that.
I knew a lot of guys thought long hair was hot.
Shaving my head was a way of saying to the world: F— you.
You want me to be pretty for you?
F— you.
You want me to be good for you?
F— you.
You want me to be your dream girl?
F— you.”
She continues, expressing her exhaustion with the constant pressure and judgment she faced, saying, “I'd smiled politely while TV show hosts leered at my bre-sts, while American parents says I was destroying their children by wearing a crop top, while executives patted my hand condescendingly and second-guessed my career choices even though I'd sold millions of records, while my family acted like I was evil.
And I was tired of it.”
The head-shaving incident took place in February 2007, during a time when Spears was publicly fighting for custody of her two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, amidst her divorce from Federline.
In her memoir, she reveals that she intentionally gave the paparazzi something to talk about.
“I went into a hair salon, and I took the clippers, and I shaved off all my hair,” Spears writes.
“Everyone thought it was hilarious.
Look how crazy she is!
Even my parents acted embarrassed by me.
But nobody seemed to understand that I was simply out of my mind with grief.
My children had been taken away from me.”
According to stylist Esther Tognozzi, owner of Esther's Haircutting Studio in Los Angeles, Spears made the decision to shave her own head after Tognozzi refused to be involved.
Tognozzi recalls trying to dissuade her, suggesting that it might be a temporary hormonal moment, but Spears was resolute in her decision.
During the same outing, Spears also got two tattoos, further solidifying this period of rebellion and self-expression.
Following the head-shaving incident, Spears shares that “everyone was scared of (her),” including her mother, and no one wanted to engage with her because she felt “too ugly.”
“The Woman in Me,” released on October 24, provides an intimate look into Spears' life spanning over four decades.
The memoir delves into her experiences under a 13-year conservatorship, as