Hayley Williams, lead vocalist of Paramore, has responded to claims that a Nashville hair salon she co-founded, Fruits Hair Lab, is a “toxic workplace.” The accusations surfaced after Williams shared a statement promoting mental health through her hair cosmetics brand, Good Dye Young, last week.
Initially, the statement was met with praise, but it quickly drew criticism. Comments emerged alleging that Fruits Hair Lab had deleted posts from former employees who claimed they had experienced toxic behavior at the salon, with one employee reportedly needing therapy as a result. Non-employees also joined the discussion, questioning Williams’ commitment to mental health if she was complicit in such a work environment. Some described her statement as “performative,” accusing her of ignoring complaints brought to her attention.
In response, Williams addressed the allegations in an Instagram comment. She stated that she would not tolerate attacks on her character and clarified her role at the salon. “I have interacted with stylists at our salon only a handful of times. I co-founded and funded the salon, but I am not the boss, nor do I have any job title there,” Williams explained. She emphasized that a salon manager had been in charge since the beginning because she and her co-founder, Brian O’Connor, are rarely in Nashville.
She also responded to the accusations about the salon’s environment, noting that after a group of employees left, the remaining stylists reported a more positive and less toxic atmosphere. “Do with that what you will,” she added.
Williams further addressed the claims that comments had been deleted, asserting that neither she nor anyone at Good Dye Young removed any posts. “From now on, I will no longer hold my team back from stopping people who are trying to take advantage of and attack my character,” she stated.
She concluded by sharing positive news about her businesses, revealing that both Good Dye Young and Fruits Hair Lab would now offer their staff unlimited mental health services, starting November 1. “If keeping that private was performative, well then fuck me, I guess,” Williams remarked.
In other news, Williams has confirmed that Paramore is working on new music. In an interview with Dork, she revealed that the band had recorded tracks at Clouds Hill Studio in Hamburg, experimenting with ideas that felt different from their previous work. Paramore’s latest album, This Is Why, released in 2023, was praised for its warmth and evolution from the band’s earlier sound.
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