‘Nashville’ Star Clare Bowen Chops Off Hair, Makes Statement For Young Girls Everywhere

Clare Bowen, who plays Scarlett O’Connor on the hit television show Nashville, has cut off her curly blonde locks and is now sporting a much shorter ‘do. Bowen debuted her new hairstyle on social media, posting a picture of herself on Instagram with the words “It’s just hair” across the side of the picture.

Anyone who has ever watched an episode of Nashville knows that Bowen’s long blonde hair is as much a defining trait for her character, Scarlett, as is her soprano voice. The decision to cut off her hair didn’t seem like a very difficult one for Clare, though.

As reported by CNN, Bowen chose to cut off her hair because of a story she heard regarding a young girl. The girl felt that she was unable to be a princess because she didn’t have long hair.

“I wanted her, and others like her to know that’s not what makes a princess, or a warrior, or a superhero,” Clare Bowen said on a Facebook post that explained the inspiration for her new style.

This is more than just a fashion statement, however, it’s a statement about global beauty standards. In the Facebook post, which started off with the words “Wanna know why I cut it all off?” Bowen went on to talk about a very personal struggle she underwent in her childhood.

After pointing out that a person’s outward looks does not define them or what they can be, Clare went on to talk about her experience with neuroblastoma. According to CNN, she was diagnosed at age four and the treatments and medical procedures left her body looking quite damaged. She bonded with other sick children who didn’t have hair, had visible scars, bruises, cuts, etc.

ABC News goes on to say that within these friendships, the children did not judge or even pay attention to each other’s appearances. They simply accepted one another for who and what they were, because they were familiar with the conditions. This taught Bowen that beauty is not something that exists on the outside.

In her Facebook post, Bowen says “Look deeper than skin, hair, nails, and lips,” and this is an important message. She wants children like the little girl with short hair, and people in general, probably, to accept one another and to accept themselves regardless of their outward appearances. This is why Bowen chose to get rid of her long, beautiful hair, because she wanted to prove her point.

Clare overcame her sickness and her hair grew back, but she never forgot what she went through or what she learned in the process, and that is why she cut her hair, as reported ABC News.

At the end of her Facebook post, Bowen gave a shout out to her ABC Nashville family and, specifically, to its creator, Callie Khouri. Bowen said that Khouri allowed her to change the character Scarlett’s hair and that she was grateful for this. She also said that her loved ones helped her to make the decision to cut her hair and supported her in making the statement that she truly hopes will help people understand how to “shine the brightest form.”

[Main image courtesy of Frazer Harrison / Getty images]