5 Celebrities Who Have Rocked A Mullet

How does one describe the mullet in all its glory well enough to do it justice? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? A hairstyle that is short everywhere besides the back of the head, the mullet hairstyle first appeared in ancient Assyria, Egypt, and Greece by brave warriors and respected rebellions (via The New York Times). In certain indigenous populations in the U.S., Native American tribe members sported a combination of the mullet and a mohawk — acting as an act of political protest and rebellion against the forced removal from their homeland (per Readers Digest).

Mullets were all the rage in the '70s and '80s, as celebs like David Bowie, John Stamos, Liza Minnelli, and Jane Fonda rocked the 'do (via Media Feed). However, just as trends come and go, the mullet hairstyle too seemed to lose its luster, eventually becoming the laughingstock of hairstyles once the 1990s (and Billy Ray Cyrus) got their hands on it.

We're thrilled to announce that, for most people, the mullet is back in style and has since found its way onto red carpets, runways, award shows, and the stages of pop stars and performers everywhere. Despite its ebb and flow in popularity, many celebrities have rocked the mullet over the years and certainly deserve our recognition and praise.

Scarlett Johansson turned heads (and maybe for not the best reasons) when the then 19-year-old actress sported a spiky blonde mullet in 2003, during a time when the not-so-popular haircut was a "source of embarrassment" and seen as dirty (per Dazed). In a recent interview with InStyle, Johansson reflected back on her "fashion mullet," as she calls it, saying, "when I look back, it felt like it was beyond forward, it was probably extreme, but now it's back, and I still think it was a really cute haircut."

Regardless of anyone's opinion on her "business in the front party in the back" hairstyle, Scar-Jo got one thing right: the spiky, blonde tousled hair, which was super popular in the early 2000s (via Cosmopolitan). Plus, she certainly underwent a stunning transformation since then. Johansson could never have hair again and still be one of the most beautiful women to grace the planet.

When the second decade of the 2000s rolled around, many celebrities began experimenting with different trends. According to Teen Vogue, many styles from years past started to reappear. From the funky hair colors of the '90s to glittery suits and clean-cut boyband looks, there was a lot of playfulness and fun during that decade, and Rihanna definitely showed everyone up with her dark, wispy mullet in 2013.

The Grammy-award-winning singer wasn't shy to show off her hairdo as well, often running errands, performing on stage, and attending fashion shows with her mullet perfectly styled (via Buzzfeed). Riri called her look "ghetto goth," as seen hashtagged on an Instagram post on October 31, 2013. In the photo, she's showing off her dark mullet, complete with a deliberately ripped beige t-shirt dress and oversized denim jacket delicately lying over her shoulders. Seven years later, in 2020, Rihanna would share yet another post on Instagram to her 135 million followers, sporting the same edgy mullet. Some hairstyles just don't die, do they?

By 2019, we didn't think any hairstyle could surprise us anymore — we've quite honestly seen it all at this point. However, we don't think anybody saw blonde-haired Billie Eilish going to the dark side and dying her hair black and neon green (which she eventually ditched). Throw an accidental mullet into the mix, and we had a hairstyle that was sure to draw attention.

In fact, when the "Ocean Eyes" singer was approached by a TMZ reporter at a LACMA Art + Film Gala, who asked her, "All your fans are loving the mullet; are you gonna start a trend now?" Eilish responded, "Mullet? What you mean, mullet?" She then explained that it was a total accident and that her hair was burnt off from the chemicals after a recent dye job. Accident or not, it's a total look that's sure to make a fashion statement. 

We bet you didn't see this one coming, right? The Disney actress-turned-award-winning singer and songwriter Miley Cyrus is perhaps the face of mullets in contemporary pop culture. Daughter of the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer Billy Ray Cyrus (we're sure he's thrilled about her choice of hairstyle), Miley Cyrus told InStyle that her mullet was "inevitable" and "just kind of a natural shape that [our family's] hair grows in."

Cyrus first began her mullet journey during the pandemic, when lockdown forced her to reconsider other avenues of hairstyling besides taking trips to the salon. She then enlisted her mother's help to give her a trim — however, her mom only knew how to cut one specific hairstyle (wink wink, hi Billy Ray). She later got it touched up by famed hairstylist Sally Hershberger, who told E! News that the 'do is a "modern mullet" that was "just the right vibe."

Demi Lovato has undergone some dramatic hair transformations in the past, keeping all of us on our toes – from blue hair that fans envied to pink pixie cuts. However, they have never rocked a mullet before. All eyes were on the singer and actor when they arrived at the iHeart Radio Music Awards in 2021, showcasing a sleek, jet-black mullet with super short bangs and wearing a shiny purple suit and silver body chain. Honestly, they looked so good.

When Lovato first started showcasing their short hair in 2021, they participated in an interview with The Ellen DeGeneres Show, opening up about specific struggles in their life and how they used to hide behind their hair. "So when I started doing all this work on myself, I thought, what is something that I've been holding on to my whole life that I need to let go of? And it was that," she told Ellen. "I feel more myself now."