Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Slow Sunday for Tabloids? Not When Britney's Bald!
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 18, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 18, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

You would have thought Delilah shaved Samson's head again after the breathless reports of Britney Spears shaved her head Friday night. Apparently the pop singer-mother-train wreck did the deed before going to a Sherman Oaks tattoo parlor and giving the tabloids something to pun about.
A witness told reporters Britney "said she was tired of people touching her head." That makes total sense. Plus, her hair was getting really gross after all the dye jobs and extensions. Esther Tognozzi, owner of the salon where Spears stopped in to self-shave her head, told Extra,
"She was just there in body and not really emotionally there." Hmm, jet-lagged from her non-stint at a Caribbean rehab clinic? The Post details more of what happened:
"I tried to talk her out of it. I said, 'Are you sure you're not having a bad day and tomorrow you'll feel differently about it? Why don't we wait a little bit?' " Tognozzi told CNN.
"I didn't want to be liable, I didn't want to get sued," Tognozzi explained in the "Extra" interview. "I didn't want her agent to call me and say you ruined her image."
So the Kentwood, La., native did what any country girl would do - she picked up the shears and plum did it herself.
Tognozzi felt bad for her and decided to help the single mother of 18-month-old Sean Preston and 5-month-old Jayden James finish the job, Us said.
And when it was over, Spears, who separated from hubby Kevin Federline last year, seemed to be thinking, "Oops, I did it again!"
"She just looked in the mirror and said with tears in her eyes, 'Oh, my God, I shaved it all off. My mom is going to be so upset with me,' " Tognozzi told Us Weekly.
"You know what I told her, she's lucky she has a nice shaped head. She looked cute, she's a cute little girl," Tognozzi told "Extra."
It's good to know that CNN is on top of this story, too. And the salon owner's husband says Spears's hair may be auctioned off for charity.
Spears's new tattoos include a cross and a pair of lips. X17 has photographs and video of the event. And remember when everyone went back to loving Britney Spears for about ten minutes when she surprised David Letterman last fall? Those were the days.
Tagged
britney spears
celebrities
charity
cnn
david
david letterman
hair
interview
Jayden James
jobs
kevin federline
letterman
people
rehab
Sean Preston
Sherman Oaks
the post
train
US Weekly
video
Weekly
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .