“I didn’t want to be who I was”: Kim Kardashian’s hairstylist Chris Appleton on redefining yourself
He chats being bullied in school, coming out at 26, and more on the RISE with Roxie podcast
Last updated 27th Feb 2026
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton is practically a household name. He first gained attention on social media while he was doing Rita Ora’s hair in 2016, before moving to LA and landing a role working with Christina Aguilera on The Voice. That led him to the big leagues – and how most people know Chris today: as Kim Kardashian’s hairstylist and close friend, cementing his place as part of her ‘glam team’.
In the latest episode of her Rayo Original podcast ‘RISE with Roxie,’ Roxie Nafousi sat down with Chris to talk about not only his Hollywood breakthrough, but also about how he turned his life around when it felt like he’d hit rock bottom.
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What do Chris and Roxie chat about?
The impact of being bullied at school
Chris, who is dyslexic, shares that he was bullied after he first started doing hair at age 13.
“I was called gay a lot at school because I did hair … it was before I even thought about sexuality. I wasn’t really thinking about who I was in that realm and I wasn’t given the chance to develop it because it was very quickly labeled as a bad thing. I decided to prove to everyone that I wasn’t gay and wasn’t stupid.”
He tells Roxie a particularly troubling story about a group of boys who “punched him in the back of the head and shoved him into the fence, kicking and spitting on him” while he was walking to the bus after school with friends.
“The bullying got really bad and I remember just feeling I didn’t want to be who I was”
Coming out as gay at 26
His school experience meant that Chris pushed hard against exploring his sexuality until he reached the age of 26.
“It got to a point where I didn’t really feel like myself. You can run away for a long time and you can convince yourself there’s a version of you when you try to live it.”
He shares with Roxie that he eventually got to the lowest point, deciding he had to let go, accept who he was and move onto the next stage of his life.
“I genuinely didn’t know I was gay,” he shared. “Once I sort of delved into it … I realised I wasn’t being authentic to myself. You can only fake it for so long”
Fatherhood
Chris met his former partner, the mother of his children, at 19. They were together for nine years before parting ways and remain great friends.
“The biggest thing I’ve ever had said to me is from my kids is that they’re proud of me. My life goal was to make them proud and I get a lot of confidence from that.”
His new book
‘Your Roots Don’t Define You’ was released earlier in January 2026. Chris describes the book as a “big awakening to realize my real life, where I come from, and how I ended up here in Hollywood and known as Hollywood’s hairstylist.”
“For anyone questioning ‘is this it?’ pick up the book and take a read because you’ll usually find … it’s just the beginning.”
Redefining yourself
One of the most powerful moments of the conversation was Chris describing the brutal but pivotal process of coming back to yourself, redefining who you are – and understanding that you aren’t defined by your past.
“Understanding and realising that you’re not defined by your past story is one of the most powerful things you can do,” he tells Roxie.
How can I listen to the new season of Rise with Roxie?
Season three is out now, with new episodes every Monday on Rayo, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
Can I still catch up on season 1 and 2?
Of course! You can still find the first two seasons of Rise with Roxie on all the usual channels including Rayo.
How can I stay up to date?
Follow @risewithroxie on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.