One of my biggest regrets of the year is that I didn’t get a proper haircut at the cheap chain-mall salon in February when I needed one. I kept putting it off and then the lockdown happened and now my hair situation is pretty stupid. I’ve given myself two haircuts, and everything is crooked but it’s fine. I mean, people have bigger problems so I’m not going to complain but I just think we should give each other a pass all-around for our hair situations. Nancy Pelosi too. Speaker Pelosi was in her home district in San Francisco this week and she… got a wash and blowout. Indoors. And she didn’t wear a mask!
A trip to a San Francisco salon has turned into a controversy for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi whose office tells KTVU she didn’t think she did anything wrong by getting her hair done indoors on Monday. Security footage, reported on FOX News, showed Pelosi with wet hair and without a mask inside of eSalon in apparent defiance of COVID-19 rules. In San Francisco, face coverings are mandatory in most public settings. Salons may only cut hair outdoors under new rules that took effect today.
“The Speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements. This business offered for the Speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business. The Speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment,” said Drew Hammill, deputy chief of staff for Pelosi.
On Tuesday afternoon, eSalon appeared to be closed. KTVU has not yet reached the salon owner. But according to FOX News, owner Erica Kious said that Pelosi had an appointment with a stylist who rents space in the Union Street salon. “It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can’t work,” Kious reportedly said about Pelosi..
The stylist washed Pelosi’s hair and gave her a blow dry, Kious said.
I guess I don’t understand the logistics of whether or not this was illegal or against California’s quarantine rules, especially given that the salon was not actually open for business. It was a private client (Pelosi) meeting with one (independent contractor) stylist, and the stylist rents space in the salon. And the salon owner is mad. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a bad look for Speaker Pelosi, but I could also see how she thought she might be okay. I also think Donald Trump is a consistently maskless, fascist white supremacist constantly having mini-strokes, so let’s not turn this Pelosi thing into some overblown MAGA talking point.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
I don’t think what she did was that bad, but she should have known better because this is going to be used against her for the next while.
Yes, this. Just don’t give them ammunition.
I live in the bay and indoor salons are NOT open! They are making barbers and salons operate outside under cabana tents….she knew this isn’t allowed….especially in SF! They have been the last city to get off watch lists around here….it’s not really that bad what she did, but more a slap in the face because businesses can’t operate indoors unless your private client is Pelosi…
I live in the Bay Area too, specifically in Alameda County, which has been much slower about approving salon openings than California as a whole. I don’t know what the current SF standards are, but I do know that stylists have been making off the record home visits for months. The masks make it all okay. But let’s be honest that Pelosi is probably tested daily, her stylist was probably wearing a mask, and there was no one else present. It was a bad move given that obviously it would leak, but AFIK, she’s not censoring scientists, defunding research, lying to the public, and dodging child rape accusations. I’m inclined to give her a pass on this.
I also live in the Bay, and the indoor salons are open in Marin County, just over the Golden Gate from San Francisco. How confusing!
fact is the speaker should have had her stylist come to her home instead of going to a salon. they are still closed in san francisco.
in addition, i have a friend who used to work at that salon. she left a while back because the owner is a huge trump supporter and she could no longer work in an environment wherein the owner very vocally supports a racist, sexist, misogynistic president.
the owner purposely sold the story to the media. the speaker has been a long time client at that salon. the owner claims that she herself has no responsibility in the situation since the stylists rent space from her. however if she’s allowing her stylists to see clients there in that very space, the owner does indeed have the responsibly in the end. and she admits she was informed about the speaker’s appointment the day before.
while the speaker should have abided by city rules, this was a set up plain and simple and after the set up, the tape of the speaker’s visit to the salon was sold to the media including fox news. and the irony is that the owner has been profiting off the speaker as a client of her stylist for a long time. not only from her being a client but by the prestige it has brought to her salon.
Sounds like the owner purposefully didn’t stop the appointment just so she could capture and distribute the embarrassing video.
Yep sounds about right.
Yes, this was a huge setup and Nancy or her people should have been aware of sensitivities and optics. Big eff-up politically.
I really wish all politicians over a certain age would get trained in how the internet is forever and that you can’t take privacy for granted.
I don’t have any issue with her non mask wearing in a salon with no other customers…. but as a politician… she should have known better! So annoying. Will now have to listen to dumbasses gloat that this proves covid is a hoax.
I don’t see it as a big deal if she was the only customer and it was Just Pelosi and her stylist in the salon. That’s how I’ve had my hair done recently. Just me and my stylist and no one else. But we do keep our masks on the entire time.
Unfortunately, every single little thing will be used and weaponized against the Dems in this election and they need to wake up to that fact. These are not normal times we’re living in and I think the Dems are still trying to campaign the old way of doing things. The GOP and Trump are playing to win by any means necessary and this is going to brutal. Wish Biden and the others would wake up to the reality that Trump & company will do and say anything to win this election. And they will scream and shout the loudest.
I fully support Pelosi but she handed the Trumpsters an opportunity IF her visit didn’t comply with the rules. If you are the Speaker of the friggin House and speaking up all the time about COVID, shouldn’t you KNOW what the rules are in your home district without relying on a hair stylist to tell you? How mad would you be if you were one of her constituents and realized she doesn’t even understand the rules you are living under/how difficult it is to earn a livelihood right now.
I am one of her constituents, a huge supporter, and yes, I’m mad. San Francisco has been in “shelter in place” orders since March 16. For a long time it was more restrictive than the neighboring counties, and before today the only things opened back up was outdoor dining (and the zoo). My kids aren’t in school and I’ve been on furlough this summer (and likely laid off next week) from a job I love. And it’s been particularly bad these last few weeks because the only respite (outdoors) was filled with smoke.
She should know the rules.
I’m one of her constituents too, I support her without question, but she’s really got no excuse. Salons aren’t open, period. I doubt she’s unaware of this. I’m actually getting my hair cut for the first time in 2020 this afternoon! But the stylist is coming to my house, and we’ll both be outside and masked. Nancy Pelosi’s house is spacious and not that far from the salon, there’s no reason she couldn’t have arranged for the same service at home.
(If it’s true that she was set up by the salon owner, which seems likely, well … that’s just gross. Sounds like a boycott is in order.)
It’s a big deal because in California, you can only get your haircut outside. No one is supposed to be allowed in to the building. Businesses are closing and owners are going bankrupt because they haven’t been able to operate at all and are now doing so in a very limited capacity. No one wants to sit outside in 90+ heat to get their hair done
Well this owner appears to be a Trumper so what if Pelosi asked for her stylist to come to her house, outside, etc.? And the owner pressured the stylist to say “no it’s fine it will be just us and you can come to the salon!” Had she demanded the stylist come to her house, the story would be about how spoiled and demanding she is.
I’ve been seeing my stylist since it was allowed, but we both wear masks the whole time. Sometimes there is another stylist/customer in the space but it’s a large area and again, everyone is wearing masks. Pelosi and the stylist should have both been wearing masks, though. If I can sit through highlights in my mask, she can get a blowout and style in a mask. (In my area it is illegal for the stylist to come to your home, just FYI)
Even if the owner approved it, it’s not allowed in SF.
I’m a constituent too, my hair stylist has a sole proprietorship and he is not allowed to open. Outdoors, or have your stylist come to your house.
On the scale of things, it’s not maga sh-t, but her constituents can’t open their businesses so she shouldn’t be going into a salon.
The hair salons and barbershops here opened back in May. I went back to my hairdresser in June. She rents space in a building so it’s just her in her own room/salon. Usually when I go, it’s just her and I and we both wear masks.
Hair saloons and nail spas are open in Florida where I live but it all by appointment only; NO WALK INS!.
You have to wear a mask and there is no “waiting in the waiting area” as you have to wait outside until your appointment time arrives.
They opened in NJ too, and I’ve been once so far. Very limited customers (it’s a good sized place) and you must wear a mask, appointment only, and you get your temperature taken upon entry.
I didn’t realize they weren’t open in California yet. Nancy should have known better, it’s important to follow the rules, especially when you have the spotlight on you. And to not even wear a mask, geez.
It says alot about society that this had to even happen. As SOTH she has been doing interviews and whatnot.
If she was looking like that idiot Gym Jordan everyday they would be asking for her removal.
She is a public figure and politician, she should’ve known better. The no mask thing is what bothers me. She is consistently wearing masks in public and she should be in private as well. If you’re telling people to always wear masks then you need to set the example. I’m sure she thought this wouldn’t be known to the public, which is foolish.
Agreed! My blueish city in a red state requires masks indoors, including hair salons. I’ve gotten my hair cut twice and recently tested negative for coronavirus. Why wouldn’t she wear one?
100% agree. Also, she has so much money, she could have had the stylist just come to her house.
Exactly. You know pretty much any stylist would make a home visit for Nancy. I think it’s messed up that she’s not wearing a mask. If she had one on, this wouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Dems all need to live like they’re Obama these days and do every. single. thing. by the book. Nancy is a badass, but this was a rookie mistake.
Exactly. And if we’re going to say that British royals should be wearing masks at outdoor public appearances (*which they should,* even though it’s not the guidance from their government) then Nancy Pelosi should absolutely be wearing a mask indoors. C’mon, Nancy, you handed the MAGAts this one.
Agreed. I’d have been fine with the visit, but the lack of mask is not a good look.
If the salon was closed, how do we know about this hapoening? Who leaked the footage and why?
The pissed-off owner
I don’t really understand how the owner can claim not to have known. If you rent a space to another hairdresser, shouldn’t you know their schedule? It’s weird to then be offended when you must have let it happen
No you don’t need to know your stylist schedules but even if she did it doesn’t matter because she wasn’t supposed to go inside. All salon services have to be done outside. The is the state ordinance
The pissed off pro Trump owner who set this up (why were the cameras rolling in a closed shop?).
I am not giving this stupid story my mental energy. In the news cycle we inhabit it will trend on twitter, chewed on by Tucker and co and be gone by tomorrow.
I’m shocked she didn’t have the hairdresser come to her home instead.
I got my haircut last month (first time since January) and I was not the only person in the salon, but I was pleasantly surprised with how my salon operated – fewer customers at a time, no drinks offered, everyone masked up, etc. Salons have been opened here since mid June (early June?) and I think as long as everyone wears masks and social distancing is adhered to as best as possible (obviously my stylist was close to me), then it seems to be going okay.
For Pelosi, what surprises me is that she wasn’t wearing a mask, but I wonder if she just took it off to get her hair washed and then put it back on?
It also sounds like the owner is really ticked about this, but I cant understand why, unless this was in complete violation of the rules at the time.
I have had two haircuts since May, and was more impressed with the efforts made during the first visit. I go to a large salon that usually has more than a dozen stylists working at any given time, juggling multiple clients.
First visit was right after salons could open in our state, and there were more efforts to distance people than my July (later) visit. Yet on both occasions, everyone wore masks the entire time. If you did not have a mask, they supplied one.
Oh, please. Political hit job. Ms. Pelosi always wears a mask. Next story.
This is silly. A hit piece against a woman who has to look great every day all day because she never knows when she might be interviewed on camera. What I wish I knew is where she gets her fabulous masks. Maybe she has them custom made and they are always fabulous, coordinating perfectly with her outfits. I’m jealous.
Yes, I love her masks!
If you look at the actual footage, she’s wearing a mask around her neck. She may have temporarily removed it to get her hair washed and forgotten to put it back on. An easy mistake to make. The other two people were wearing theirs. It sucks that it was caught on tape, but it was probably only off for a few minutes.
The salon owner was angry because they have been closed for indoor operations since March, she is struggling to keep herself and business afloat and from going bankrupt. Meanwhile Pelosi who has pushed for the shutdown and mandated masks waltz in acting above those very rules. In California salons were just permitted to open for outdoor operations only on Tuesday so Pelosi should have known better absolutely. Her blowout happened before even ojtdoor was ok. This is her home district which her nephew runs. She is playing dumb now that she got caught. Typical politician. I can’t say I blame the owner for being upset. In California everyone is struggling and trying to keep the lights on, soo many going totally out of business.
Thank you!! I have a few hair stylist friends and they are pissed about this.
Pelosi doesn’t makes those rules in California. Gavin Newsom does.
This was a really stupid thing to do. Someone could have easily come to her home. Or just wear the damn mask! So ridiculous. This bothers me. Normally I don’t care about how the right will respond because you know it’s just a bunch of lies, but ain’t no lies here. Legal or not it’s a bad look drenched in obvious hypocrisy. Come on now, Nancy. You know better.
I don’t understand why she didn’t hire someone to come to her home…It’s so simple.
On the other hand, everyone who is upset likely isn’t following any rules. SOOOO until there are some actual laws and regulations in place to protect the American people, I don’t care.
I’m sorry but why are people mad about this.
Has America actually followed quarantine guidelines whatsoever??
There’s a lot of “she should have known better”. How? This is where a NATIONAL guidance would be good. As it is, we have State and County recommendations and sometimes they differ. That, along with the Federal “suggestions” make for a confusing lay of the land. I’m guessing she didn’t know. She relied on her scheduler and hair dresser to tell her if she was okay. As for Salons, they can be a different animal as well. Some are independent contractors, some can be employees. I don’t really think it’s fair to assume all she would know better since she’s been spending the bulk of her time in DC.
Seriously? She lives there. At the very least she should know the rules of her home state.
She was seen just a few hours before the official reopening of Salons and the owner of the salon purposely admitted to luring Nancy into the salon by misrepresenting and lying that the Salon was allowed to have one customer inside at a time. Her motivation was simple. The salon owner is a trump supporter who Lied to Nancy and with the sole intention o secretly film her and sell the footage to Fox News. This salon owner should have her license revoked by the cosmetology board for this. Shame on the salon owner for purposely misrepresentating to a customer that she was allowed to come to the salon. Not to mention I hope Nancy sues the pants off this Lady. Its immoral. Trump supporters are gunning us down in the streets and when they cant do that- they are luring us into situations with malicious intentions. Shame on eSalon owner!
What she did wasn’t bad but it was dumb since the GOP are always looking for ways to vilify her. Don’t make it easy for them.
She shouldn’t have done that because it gives Trump and his supporters more “hypocrite” barbs to throw at her. They are still going on about her “freezer full of gourmet ice cream”. Like that’s so much more elitist than Trump and his gold toilet. *Rolls eyes*
I see nothing wrong with this. She’s in a position where she needs to present a certain image. What would people say about her if her hair wasn’t done? She’s important and has access to certain privileges that not everyone else does.
This is a big deal. She has been critical of the Republicans for not wearing masks, and here she is breaking the rules in San Francisco. Salons are not allowed to be open in SF, so she should have not been in there. She could have had her outside salon appointment like everyone else. I am a super liberal Democrat, and I am pretty disgusted with her hypocrisy over this. She has lost her moral authority to say anything about shut downs and masks and basically following the rules.
It’s a big deal because it was a set up. Pelosi was personally referred to this stylist by her regular hair stylist was not able to do her hair on Monday. the New stylist called the owner, asked for permission to use the building for Nancy. The owner not only decided to lure Nancy in and gave the stylist permission to invite Nancy Pelosi in- the owner lied to Nancy and lied that the salon is allowed to have one person in at a time. Then the owner then decided to secretly record Nancy once she was lured inside for the sole purpose of handing it over to fox news. The owner of the business is shameful! This was a trap set by the owner and unfortunately Nancy fell for it but its shameful to do something like this to gain political advantages and knowing full well how this could impact the election when our democracy is at stake.
But why didn’t she wear a mask? How does she know the person doing her hair doesn’t have Covid?
…or vice versa.
My biggest issue is that it’s just stupid. You know the stakes, both political and public health wise, and you know how this looks to millions of Americans out of work. *I* am smart enough to realize there’s some key differences at play here than what Republicans want (literal disease-driven genocide to promote economy) and that the republican held Congress is who’s holding up aid, but plenty of people are not because they’re being fed a steady diet or propaganda, and it’s the image that matters. JFC. Get Biden in, and then people need to start showing up to elections every year so we can start fixing this shit show.
I live in SF and I think this is a nothingburger because it’s not like orange monster supporters had such a high opinion of Pelosi with all the mudslinging and smears they have been throwing at her for decades, so this is really like nothing.
Please! Did people ever wonder why everyone in Congress looks perfectly coiffed – especially the men? Do you really think they cut their own hair? They all look camera ready which means yes, someone, a professional, cut their hair. If they didn’t do that, we’d be looking at a bunch of hippies right now.
This is not the issue I’m pissed at. It was two people. She took that chance.
She should have known better.
But I don’t see fox and other news bashing trumps indoor kkk rally’s
For everyone who suggested that Pelosi should have had her stylist come to her home, that may not have been possible due to California licensing regulations. I live in Wisconsin and went a couple months without a haircut. I contacted my stylist to see if it were possible for her to come to my home to cut my hair. She had to decline my request because doing so would cause her to potentially lose her state issued license. She was very apologetic and said that I wasn’t the only person who contacted her asking if she’d be able to come to their homes. She said most people had been very understanding when told of her reasons.
She should hold herself to a higher standard. This was all over my FB feed here in Los Angeles and my hair stylist friends were pissed! I’m a Pelosi supporter and it’s hard not to feel angry at this entitlement.
Yep. I can’t believe she did this in California of all places, where hair stylists, manicurists, estheticians etc. have been unable to work properly for almost 6 months. They’re one of the loudest groups calling for a change in California’s safety measures, because it’s absolutely killing the industry here. Half the people I go to have already lost their businesses.
Honestly she should of known better. It’s not a huge deal, but it is a slap in the face to people of California who have to get their haircut outside. It does look bad, and the Trump supporters are having a field day with it. I mean she couldn’t have at least worn a mask? Or have them come to her house?
She should’ve worn a mask. She should also be called out for her hypocrisy. She can’t tell other people not to visit salons and take the pandemic seriously but then go to one herself. She used her privilege to go to a closed salon in the first place and then used it again to rationalize the fact that she wasn’t putting very many people in harm’s way because it was closed. She’s a multi-millionaire, she can have someone do her hair at home, or do it herself. She had options and this is the one she went with.
Exactly!! I’m guessing from your name, you’re a Chicago girl. Lori did the same thing and just owned it, like Nancy should have done. Not a big deal but quit acting like a victim about it.
Yep. I’m from Chicago and I didn’t agree with Lori’s decision, but she did own it and I respect that. She’s a public figure, a black woman, and a lesbian. If she doesn’t keep herself groomed, then racist, sexist, homophobic whisper campaigns about how she ‘looks unprofessional, isn’t representing the city, well ‘ etc. start. Nancy Pelosi is an 80-year-old woman and a public figure. If she doesn’t show up with makeup on and her hair done, she’ll get flack for looking ‘old and tired’, so I get it. But just say that. Don’t act as though you got caught in ‘Operation Blowout’.
It’s a stupid gotcha story. Bet the salon owner was paid off by Trump operatives to set it up.
so I just found out that having a hairstylist come to your house for a home haircut is apparently illegal. At least where I live. ILLEGAL. My hairstylist could lose her license to cut hair for coming to do it outside at my house. instead of in a salon, where she has to pay rent to work. *If she did that, she could lose her license* – which I will deny. LOL
BFD. This is just a distraction From the right and all it proves is she is human. I know myself and many others who have had moments where we have broken a rule or two the past six months.
This is another distraction attempt by the Alt right and I could care less if Nancy and her hair stylist agreed to meet the two of them in The salon. Thats their choice and their risk to take. I know several hair stylists that are making house calls on the down low.
The alt right is literally hunting us and gunning us down in the streets- if they think I am going to be distracted by a woman meeting her hair stylist at an empty salon for hair maintenance than they should think again!
Interesting how this got leaked to Fox. And now they’re having their little hissy fits about this one slip up. Never mind that I just saw clips of today’s Drumpf speech where a bunch of vulnerable veterans were sitting in a crowd AND NOT WEARING MASKS.
The GOP can go jump off a bridge.
So Rand Paul can spread Coronivirus at the Capital gym, but Nany gets a blow out at salons that are now open and it’s a crisis!!! Omg so sexist
I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, but she should own it and not blame the salon. The mayor of Chicago faced the same controversy and she said, “Hey I’m a public figure andI needed a haircut” Nancy made it worse by acting like a victim.
But it’s okay for DT to always blame everything on everyone else??? DT blames the victim every chance he gets. We can’t have double standards. It’s wrong on both ends for either one of them, or anyone for that matter to not wear their masks.
He has nothing to do with this. We know he’s an ass. People should not compare everyone’s actions to DT, who is the lowest of the low. Almost everyone’s actions are better than his. Own it and move on.
It’s now coming out that the owner has been operating the salon illegally since April in violation of both San Francisco and California’s stay at home orders. Pelosi’s stylist, an independent contractor, spilled it all out in the letter released through his attorney. Here’s the link https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1301357353246363648
It’s clear that it was a setup, because the stylist called Erika Kious, the owner/manager, to make sure that it was fine for him to go ahead with Pelosi’s appointment. He was aware of the regulations, and according to him, both him and Pelosi followed Covid safety guidelines.
That’s in contrast to how he claims that Kious had been working illegally, without using protective gear and ignoring distancing guidelines. He also claims that she was bullying and harassing the other stylists to work illegally during this time as well.
DT went without wearing a mask for months? NP does it, and people are going crazy over it! For real??? All of us needs to get our priorities in order.