Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton had previously stated that his top fee was $100,000, but he recently admitted that the real figure is actually $200,000. On the podcast “Jamie Long’s Amazing Company,” he explained, “I said 100 because I was scared of what people would say. I said it and I got scared.”
At 42 years old, Appleton justified these hefty charges by noting that much of his work is unpaid. He elaborated, saying, “There’s a lot of work you do for free. There’s a lot of work you don’t get paid that much.”
Appleton, known for styling Kim Kardashian’s hair, went on to discuss the details of the total fees. He mentioned that extensive travel and personal investment go into his work. “If you look at the breakdown, it’s not that much,” he said, adding that after taxes — which can be as high as 50% and commissions to agents and managers, his earnings are significantly diminished.
This explanation isn’t new for him; he shared similar thoughts back in January on the “U Up?” podcast, where he expressed how these deductions can impact his income.
He also acknowledged that sometimes they don’t charge at all, emphasizing that travel and expenses figure into the total price tag.
Kardashian, who got her hair styled by Appleton for the Met Gala, has criticized him recently for her 2022 look, which featured a dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe paired with blonde, slicked-back hair. In a video blog reflecting on that day, she mentioned, “We had too much going on. You were doing the whole family. We weren’t focused,” while showing a photo from the event and humorously adding, “We all messed up here. Let’s just say that.”
During a playful exchange about choices in makeup and hair, Kardashian remarked on the importance of the hair in her looks, saying, “It was all about the hair. I’m going to fight that to the death,” revealing that she thinks about that Met Gala moment often.
Appleton admitted to having a fondness for a lighter rock vibe at the time and noted the transformative power of Kim’s hair color and makeup choices, adding, “You can really reinvent things,” to E! news.
