Gabby Douglas hires hairstylist to the stars Ted Gibson

[mscocoface]

Not sure if this was posted already.

By Jillian Eugenios TODAY.com contributor

updated 8/16/2012 12:12:14 PM ET 2012-08-16T16:12:14

When U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas, 16, fell on the balance beam at the London Olympics, it was amid a firestorm of criticism about her hair. Now, the teen athlete has a new player on her team: celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson.

Douglas’ new hairstylist believes her struggles in performing that day are to blame on the negativity she had been dealing with at the time, with people focusing more on what was on top of her head than the record-breaking gold medal she was wearing around her neck.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Gibson said, “I couldn’t believe it and still can’t. You have this young girl doing amazing things, and the conversation becomes about her hair? It was ridiculous and shameful. I believe all that talk had to take a toll on her...you’ve worked so hard for something and then people tear you apart for little or nothing.”

New York-based Gibson, who is one of the most sought-after hairstylists in the business, has fashioned the locks of everyone from Angelina Jolie to Demi Moore and Anne Hathaway. He has now added Douglas to his A-list client roster after her team reached out to him following the hair controversy.

As TODAY.com reported, both Douglas and her mother Natalie Hawkins went on the defensive when criticism about Douglas’ hair being “unkempt” and “embarrassing” began.
Hawkins defended her daughter in several interviews. She told Fashionista.com that Douglas lives and trains in Des Moines, Iowa, and that there isn’t one black hair salon in the area. “We had to work really hard to find a stylist to come and do her hair...It’s really been African-American women that have come out and attacked her. They don’t know about gymnastics. She has to keep her hair in a ponytail 28-30 hours a week."

More on Gabby Douglas:
Gabby Douglas' mom weighs in on hair controversy
Agent: Gabby Douglas fielding several book offers
Looks like the search is over for Douglas, and as she does her post-Olympics round of interviews and appearances she can count on Gibson taking care of her locks.

Gibson, who is African-American, said he works with people from all walks of life, and that he is looking to give Douglas something that looks great whether she’s on the street or flying through a set of uneven bars. “I hope to create something that makes her feelgood about herself as well,” he said. “That’s so important and a big part of what I do for all the women I work with.”

No word yet on what Gibson and Douglas have in mind for her new ‘do, but Gibson has said he isn’t planning on giving her just a new style. “It’s about the hair,” he said, “and then it’s about much more.”

[Pompous Blue]

Here are some pics in this thread -
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/sho...d.php?t=637943

I don't see a makeover.....looks like he added weave to her hair and the after-pics are showcasing his brand.

[LoveTheSkinImIn]

Homie from What Not to Wear. I love him :-)

[candy626]

I like her hair just fine without the extensions. Her hair looks like the average African American female's hair. I saw her in a picture with Dominique Dawes and her hair looked like it had been straightened...was shoulder length..looked trimmed..seemed pretty average to me. I don't get the big to-do over the way it looks when she works out...

[auparavant]

Black women are falling hook, line and sinker for this nonsense. That stylist better be giving her a regulations' look....ponytail. What made Gabby different than the others? She's black. That's it. Honestly, she is the same as the other gymnasts. And these black folks criticizing her...I swear about these rotten crabs in a barrel!

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by auparavant

Black women are falling hook, line and sinker for this nonsense. That stylist better be giving her a regulations' look....ponytail. What made Gabby different than the others? She's black. That's it. Honestly, she is the same as the other gymnasts. And these black folks criticizing her...I swear about these rotten crabs in a barrel!

amen...I don't get why black people are trying to put her down...people are just jealous!

[DirectorChic]

They complained when she was doing her thing in London...and now complain about her new do by a celeb stylist.

What do black women want? To continue to be invisible??? But when we get good rep... we complain.

I don't hear it about the black female track stars but here is a BLACK GIRL in an alleged unconventional sport( in black peoples minds) that some blacks don't consider.... I leave it to pure envy talking. Besides what is their out of shape daughter doing?

[Ogoma]

^^^^ @DirectorChic why she gotta be out of shape though?

[DirectorChic]

Originally Posted by Ogoma

^^^^ @DirectorChic why she gotta be out of shape though?

Young black girls it seems...at least in *my* area don't like doing the work out thing. It's all about maintaining the hair-do their momma paid for. Therefore...it leads to a domino affect of lack of activity that causes any amount of sweat. Hence.... outta shape! (while the young white girls and black guys head to the gym.)

[pookaloo83]

Originally Posted by Ogoma

^^^^ @DirectorChic why she gotta be out of shape though?

Sent From Mah Phone

[halee_J]

I'm upset she did this. Why is her PR team entertaining this nonsense? There was nothing wrong with her hair in the first place. She is an athlete, her hairstyle was functional and looked no different from the other girls on the team. If the hairstyle itself was so atrocious, Ted's gonna do their hair too right?

[virtuenow]

I don't like TedGibson. He doesn't do a good job on What Not To Wear.

[bosswitch]

Originally Posted by virtuenow

I don't like TedGibson. He doesn't do a good job on What Not To Wear.

Same. He's always trying to cut people's hair to NL...like WTF?

[Blyss_curls]

Originally Posted by halee_J

I'm upset she did this. Why is her PR team entertaining this nonsense? There was nothing wrong with her hair in the first place. She is an athlete, her hairstyle was functional and looked no different from the other girls on the team. If the hairstyle itself was so atrocious, Ted's gonna do their hair too right?

Totally agree (w/being upset that she did this)....doing so says,"....hair complaints were appropriate--so now I'm fixing the problem."

I suspect as usual, the media blew the entire thing out of proportion. A few complaints on twitter suddenly became,"...all black women are mad."

[sbfairy]

Originally Posted by DirectorChic

Therefore...it leads to a domino affect of lack of activity that causes any amount of sweat. Hence.... outta shape! (while the young white girls and black guys head to the gym.)

Every bit of this is the truth.