Video of a California woman having a racist hissy fit inside a hair salon has gone viral on social media.
Sharon Spellman is a Los Angeles-based salon owner who recently uploaded security footage of one of her clients making vile remarks about her assistant before throwing a violent temper tantrum in her chair.
Video shows the client, a middle-aged white woman by the name of Robin, refusing to have her roots colored by Spellman’s assistant, Alex, because Alex is Hispanic.
“She’s going to do it exactly how I do it,” Spellman says, encouraging Robin to be “more trusting” of others.
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But Robin isn’t having any of it.
“I’m not paying her,” she replies. “I’m paying you.”
When Spellman patiently explains that Alex, who is sitting just a few feet away and can hear everything that is being said, is a paid employee of the salon, Robin threatens to leave if she even lays a finger on her hair.
“I’m not gonna tell you again!” she warns.
Things take a turn for the worst when Spellman tells Robin she’s being disrespectful.
“I came to get my hair done!” Robin quips. To which Spellman responds, “Honestly, Robin, if you don’t want to hear me out and get to the resolution of this you can leave.”
That’s when Robin absolutely loses it. After trying to jab Spellman with her elbow, Spellman tells her to “get the f*ck out.” Then she informs her she’s being recorded.
Realizing her disgusting behavior has been caught on camera, Robin breaks down sobbing, saying she has “a lot of stress in my life,” which apparently caused her to act racist and violent. Then she begs Spellman to please, please, please finish coloring her hair, which still has product in it.
But Spellman refuses.
“I really took care of you when no one in the other salons wanted to do your hair,” she says. “I wanted to do your hair and we created a bond.” Then she tells Robin to go home and wash out the product from her hair herself.
Watch.
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Cam
Funny how they change when they know that they were recorded.
And as for this section……
““I really took care of you when no one in the other salons wanted to do your hair,” she said. “I wanted to do your hair and we created a bond.” Then she tells Robin to go home and wash out the product from her hair herself.”
I’m curious why no one in the other salons wanted to do her hair, is this common behavior for her?
BoylesqueBubble
As usual Queerty’s 5 star writers neglected some information.
The woman had been abusive to other stylists in that building. Each stylists’ station, is their own “mini” salon, that they run as their own business. The abusive customer had been a twat to everyone else in that collective of businesses, and this stylist took her on as a customer, pretty much out of pity and felt she could deflate her behavior. She’d been working with the psycho for quite awhile as well before this incident.
How this relates to Queerty and our community is dumbfounding as this not only has been in the news for well over a week, but again are the writers here not able to pull their stories from Reddit anymore?
avesraggiana
I don’t see the racist-bit in the hissy fit. Maybe Karen didn’t want anybody but the salon owner herself to colour her hair, which is fair, because that’s who she is paying. The “other” employee just happened to be Hispanic. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered to Karen if the she was white, she didn’t want anybody else doing her hair. People are so fragile…
Catholicslutbox
I didn’t get anything remotely racist from this interaction.
She never said that she didn’t want the assistant to do it because she is Hispanic. Maybe we missed that bit, but nearly hitting the stylist is crossing a line.
glennmcbride
I agree with you. I didn’t see or hear anything racist. She hired the stylist to do her hair and the stylist wanted to turn her over to someone else to finish her off, probably so she could tend another appointment. The woman having her hair done really did not seem out of line except for the elbowing incident.
Neoprene
What we don’t know from that video is if she refused to have Colorists who are white work with her on previous visits. Don’t most decent salons employ staff who exclusively do hair coloring? I thought that’s what I saw on Tabitha’s Salon Takeover years ago.
gregg2010
I didn’t see the racism either. The customer wanted the owner to do her hair, not her assistant. Unless something was left out, if I book with one stylist I want that stylist to do my hair as well, not her assistant.
missvamp
the facts are clear- she was doing her a favor by taking her as a client when clearly others had turned her away. she’s a problem child apparently. she must need to be seen at certain times or her she needs some type of accommodation. that’s why no one else would put up with her. but the clients actions are bs- she deserved to be booted from the salon. it’s common to let an assistant help out if you’re over booked. but if a client can’t understand that, or won’t trust the stylist, as pros, we have to try & accommodate them as well. so they stylist should have tried to make her happy & not overbooked. the assistant should have been doing someone’s blow out.
Sqwoah
Why is the hairdresser being so rude and aggressive? I wouldn’t want to get my haircut by somebody who spoke to me like that. Also, there’s nothing racist about this. The hairdresser is being a provocateur. I think she’s looking for a little viral attention.
wikidBSTN
AGREED.
Cam
Sweetie, if you’re going to pretend you aren’t a troll you may want to stay away from words like “provocateur”. LOL
Also, according to other sites, the customer had abused multiple other stylists.
cuteguy
She is obviously a Trump supporter. She needs to move into a neighborhood where they not only condone her racist views but applaud it. To this day I just don’t understand why any minority would vote for Trump or support the GOP. The GOP only support straight (and closeted) WASPs. It’s been proven over and over
searchcz
“Everybody stay safe out there” seems an odd comment from a stylist who isn’t wearing a mask during close contact with a client.
jonasalden
I missed the racist part though. Time stamp please. The audio was a bit unclear.
yah_sure_youbetcha
My favorite part is the sign that says “this is our happy place”.
garybw
Cam
When people show you who they are, don’t question them, believe them
wikidBSTN
What is racist about this???
She wanted the owner and not the assistant to do the work she was paying for. That is not an unreasonable request. She was calm. It was the owner who was aggressive and condescending from the get go. And it was the owner who started to swear and become abusive.
If this woman’s hair was damaged in any way, she would have grounds to take to the owner to court for damages as well as a claim for the intentional infliction of emotional distress – especially after posting this video on social media.
Also – not sure about the law in CA, but in many states it is illegal to record someone without first letting them know they are being recorded.
mosm
What a nasty thing to do, to post that video online. Indeed this seems to be looking for the opportunity to create a scene.
Heywood Jablowme
We can infer the racism, it seems likely… but the video doesn’t prove it.
Why is no one wearing a mask? To me that seems by far the weirdest thing. The salon owner and salon employee should want masks to protect themselves, at least. California and/or L.A. County probably requires masks for ALL involved including customers?
Heywood Jablowme
also… I almost hate to bring this up (not a “Karen” fan here) but some commenters have asked if it’s legal in California to record someone without their knowledge or consent.
Answer: IT’S NOT LEGAL. California is a “two-party consent” state. It’s NOT legal in California to record someone without their consent.
The salon owner is breaking the law with that video and could theoretically get a $2,500 fine.
Michael
I hate “Karens” just as much as the next person and racism is horrible. Period. Robin may have in fact been a problem customer. But this is like a set up scene out of a poorly scripted reality show. There’s no evidence of racism in this clip. Problem customer Robin just wanted the experienced colorist and not a trainee taking care of her hair. This was shot on iPhone conveniently set up framing all the participants – and not security cc cam. And I hope stylist Sharon isn’t going into acting. Her aggressive baiting of the client is pretty transparent.
LumpyPillows
I see two people behaving badly. There really wasn’t anything racist in this that I heard. Just a lot of bad attitude all around.
1898
first of all, what does this have to do with lgbtq? and second, why aren’t either of them wearing masks???
Tyrone Johnston
Robyn appears to be a whiny wench, but this was not a racist incident. Not. At. All. Robyn needed to be sent packing just for throwing them bows.
woodroad34
Let’s see….this is the social life that Trump and his ilk have brought us: Bullying. And when you’re called out on your bullying, bad manners and thoughtlessness, you whinge, whine, cry and threaten. The amount of selfishness and immaturity going on in this country is appalling. What stress is this entitled woman under that’s more debilitating than any one else–has she never been taught how to manage herself?
CBoapinta
Wait, so is her name Robyn?
Raphael
Apart from the elbow thing, she’s actually not in the wrong. If I hired someone to do my hair, I would want them to do it, not pass it along… If she hadn’t assaulted the hairdresser, people’s opinion would be very different.
Sanjo
I’m ready to bet my life savings that Robyn has Borderline Personality Disorder. Bless her heart.