Palin Hairdresser: NYT Lied About Her Hair Thinning (UPDATE: NYT Responds)

UPDATE: The New York Times has defended its story quoting Palin's hairdresser, saying the woman in question praised the article.

Times spokeswoman Diane McNulty told Editor & Publisher:

"Kim Severson, the reporter who interviewed Jessica Steele at some length in her salon for the article, received an e-mail from her early on July 13 saying, 'Thank you so much for the article!! It was perfect!'

"In several later conversations, she confirmed that view. Therefore, we believe our reporting is accurate."

* * * * *

The New York Times reported last week that Sarah Palin was forced to resign as Alaska governor because of overwhelming personal and political stress. One sign of Palin's turmoil was that, according to her hairdresser, her hair was thinning.

Friends worried that she appeared anxious and underweight. Her hair had thinned to the point where she needed emergency help from her hairdresser and close friend, Jessica Steele.

"Honestly, I think all of it just broke her heart," Ms. Steele said in an interview at her beauty parlor in Wasilla, the Beehive.

Now, that stylist is saying it's not true. In a post on her Twitter account, Jessica Steele owner of the Beehive in Wasilla, wrote: "I am Sarah Palin's hairdresser in Alaska! The media is saying Sarah's hair is thinning this is a lie!!! I never said this and it's not true!"

She repeated the rebuttal and disparaged the media in subsequent posts, saying "I have never spoken 2 Inside Edition or told any reporter at the NYTs that Sarah Palin's hair was thinning to the point of emergency! Liers! [sic]" and "If u think about it saying Sarah's Palins hair is thinning is the dumbest lie the New York Times and inside Edition can come up with yet!"

Palin supporters have suggested Steele go to a different news organization with her case, but so far she has not said anything about doing so. Steele did tweet that "Inside Edition" contacted her for an interview, but she turned them down because "the whole 'story' was a lie."

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Comments

[zippywpinhead]

who knew that 3 AM phone call would be about Rogaine?

[capitaldysfunction]

This story makes it appear we will not see a Presidential bid by Mrs. Palin (a sad item to this liberal). The conservitive reaction to the story only confirms the incoherency of those who see Mrs. Palin as coherent.

[TN60]

Is nothing too trite to be headlined about this woman?????

[sippewissett]

It's the fact that it's another lie -- complete with a false quote -- that makes this newsworthy because it reaffirms Palin cannot be trusted to distinguish between reality and "magical thinking."

[Piatt]

Sarah's thinning hair constitutes an emergency? How would she deal with a crisis that revolved around something other than her narcissism?

[me again]

Presumbaly if Palin had not quit the governor's job, this would lead to "beauty shop gate."

[iconklee]

Never mind Beauty-GATE ... the soon to be EX governor is facing her most serious ethics violation yet: violation of Alaska's strict GIFT REPORTING. The governor has chosen to completely ignore reporting any of the gifts she has been given while in office. She just chose NOT to report -- when all that was required was a timely form (filed within 30-days of gift's receipt). But, LAWS do not apply (apparently) to Sarah Palin. Neither she, nor her husband or any of her immediate family has bothered to report ANY OF THE COUNTLESS gifts she/they have received in 2008 or 2009. The Alaska Report has the details:

http://alaskareport.com/news39/x71277_ethics_fail.htm

Losing her hair is not much of a deal in a life filled with a total disregard for integrity. Not only is she truth-challenged, but she suffers the strongest LACK of ethics ever in one holding high public office.

[KLordsha]

Her hair isn't thinning..­.. it just runs away from time to time.. Bad hair!

[sippewissett]

I guess her hair "quit" on her. ;-)

[KLordsha]

lol

[weatherwaxx]

It isn't what's on Palin's head. It's what's inside. Or rather, what's NOT inside, like a functioning adult brain.

[moongal6]

Is it July 26th yet?

[urweatherman]

Its not surprising­....the democrats and the shameless media will say or print anything..­..as long as it advances their pupose. Pity anyone who gets in their way! Shameless!

[weatherwaxx]

95% of the 'shameless' media is owned by the same half-dozen corporations who own the GOP. Next?

[xrepublican]

It can't be true because 'fair and balanced' FOX "News" didn't report it......

Conservative right wing corporations control most of the media and you STILL have people complaining about the 'liberals'­.... bwahaaaaaa­a...... even the NY Times SAT on the ILLEGAL wiretapping story before the 2004 elections - a story that would have made even the blatant vote stealing that went on ineffectiv­e.....

It's astounding at how dumb and uninformed the ever-loyal conservative base is..... they'd march right up to a firing squad if asked to do so. Many have already dug their own graves - being without health care and OPPOSING any government efforts to get it for them.

[starkcr31]

Yeah, MSNBC, NBC, CBS and CNN are all uber-conservative. LOL.

[sippewissett]

So lying isn't worth reporting? It's not the hair that's the issue. It's the lie -- a GOP specialty.

[SaddieMcCall]

Palin's resignation song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_X1J4-BrIY

[somefool]

This is really a story? Seriously?

[Archivist1000]

The story should be : PEOPLE CAN'T READ ...

This is the exact quote from the NYT: "Friends worried that she appeared anxious and underweight. Her hair had thinned to the point where she needed emergency help from her hairdresser and close friend, Jessica Steele.

“Honestly, I think all of it just broke her heart,” Ms. Steele said in an interview at her beauty parlor in Wasilla, the Beehive"

Nowhere does it say the hairdresser said this .... they quote her "Honestly, I think all of it just broke her heart' ... and it's clear to anyone who can read, that the comment about the hair is from 'friends'.­... the hairdresser disagrees with the 'friends' ....

[sippewissett]

However, pleaase note the hairdresser is now disavowing any involvement. Give it a rest. It's just another in a string of self-promoting stories about how Palin is the victim, only to discover it's not true. Surprise, surprise.

[gcallaghan]

Palin will sic the Department of Law on her for violating the client/hairdresser privilege

[frankath]

BIG time LOL. Perfect.

[zezel]

If you guys here were more informed you would have the new Rasmussen polls that came out today. 2012: Obama 48 Palin 42. And she isn't even running yet. After all the attempted destruction she is only 6 points behind! Don't you wish you were more informed? Hell I wanna know bad news as well as good to be prepared.

[sippewissett]

Dream on. Palin will never be the GOP candidate for president in any year. She's an anethema to the Wall Street and lobbyist gang that has a $$$ stranglehold on the Repugs. Her "base" is simply neither large enough or influential enough to swing that nomination.

That said, however, Dems of all stripes are looking forward to the possibility of her candidacy for the humor value alone.

[zippywpinhead]

you don't get it, Einstein

about 30% of the republicans and 99% of the rest of us want her to run- for completely different reasons...

[Prakosh]

I can't believe this--is A H really this hard up for a Palin story?????

[denicci1977]

No, the story came out of Wasilla duh, but you were hard up to read it :)

[KLordsha]

Believe it or not... Sarah Pallin around with baldness is creating this herself...­.

[fabricnthreads]

It is so hard to backpedal and make it sound convincing.

[hortonhearsdawho]

she should go to the beechive, more her style...