There's nothing worse than having your hair cut and regretting your decision. "I love it," you inevitably say to your hairdresser before running out of the salon and crying for three days straight... yes, I am speaking from experience – and what? But what's even worse (though, dare I say it can get any worse?) is if the stylist cuts more of your lengths off without consent; Yikes. And one person who just recounted a 'traumatising' first-person experience of this is thee supermodel herself, Cindy Crawford. Who would've thought?
In the new Apple TV+ The Super Models documentary, featuring world-renowned model muse Cindy as well as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, the star spoke candidly of a time when her hair was unknowingly chopped.
Recalling her big break for a photo shoot in Rome with famed fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, Cindy said that she was "so excited" for the "great opportunity". However, things soon turned sour as she arrived in the Italian city.
"The very first night, they send the hairdresser to my room to give me a 'trim,' she said. "They comb[ed] my hair, put it in a ponytail and chop[ped] my ponytail off without asking."
Without asking?! *Insert suspicious eyes emoji, here*
Naturally, she says that she was shocked, before continuing: "I just sat there in a hotel in Rome crying. And people wonder why I've never really cut my hair since then – that's why. I was so traumatised."
Everyone's clicking on...
The now 57-year-old expressed how, at the time, she felt as though she'd lost control of her career and life decisions. "I really felt I was not seen as a person who had a voice in her own destiny. It wasn't that I didn't like my hair short, it was that I hadn't voted myself into having short hair."
She even went as far as to contemplate her place in the industry and whether or not she really wanted to be a model. "If this is what it means to be a model, I'm just not ready for this," she says she thought.
Alas, many years later, she's paved the way for runway modelling. So, let this be a lesson: hair length comes and goes but careers are a lifelong journey!
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Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
