Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton has opened up about the challenges of coming out as gay in his twenties to Katie Katon, his former partner, and their two children.
'I was like, "I’m going to hurt all these people I’ve created this life with,"' Chris told On Purpose podcast with Jay Shetty. 'We were together for nine years, had two kids and it was a magical nine years. I honestly thought I had it all figured out.'
He explained that he 'held [his] breath' between the ages of eight and 27, after which he couldn't do it any longer. When he could 'finally be honest' with himself about his sexuality, he told his wife of 'nine magical years, Katon. 'That was a process,' he said. 'I also had to respect that she needed to go through her own grief.'
He went on to explain the 'hardest part' was telling his kids, who are both now adults: Billy, 21, and Kitty-Blu, 20. 'And I think mentally for me, I couldn’t really ever get my head around that,' he said, adding that he'd worried they'd 'get bullied' because their dad was gay.
Who is Chris Appleton?
Chris Appleton is a celebrity hair dresser. Before he found fame, he worked in a hair salon in Leicester, and grew up in a working class family. He then moved to London, where he honed his hairdressing skills by working up to styling celebrities.
In an interview with Pop Sugar, he called his mother his 'muse', explaining he was around nine when he started doing her hair. 'You know, she had a hard life. She was a working mum of 5, so I wanted to make her look glamorous and important even if she didn't feel that way. I'd do her hair in these movie star undoes, like she had been on a red carpet. I remember every time she looked in the mirror, she was taken aback by how different she looked. She'd stand up a bit taller, her shoulders would go back, and it was then I realised, Wow, you can make people look good, but you can also make them feel good. That's where it all started for me,' he said.
Things took off for Chris from there, and he now has a whole host of A-list clients under his belt.
How old is Chris Appleton?
Chris Appleton was born on June 14, 1983, making him 42-years-old.
When did Chris Appleton meet Kate Katon?
Kate and Chris actually met in the hair salon when he was just 13 years old. They had their first child, Billy, in 2002, then two years later welcomed their daughter, Kitty-blu.
Chris shares a close relationship with his two children - and they presented him with the Fitness Achievement Award at the Hollywood Beauty Awards in 2021. 'Bursting with pride & couldn’t be happier that Billy & Kitty-Blu presented me with a fitness achievement award at the @hollywoodbeautyawards today,' he wrote on Instagram. 'Not the only two people in the world that make me look short lol, it was a serious proud dad moment. Love you 2 more than you know.'
Which celebrities has Chris Appleton worked for?
Appleton's first celebrity client was musician Rita Ora. 'We just vibed. She booked me the day after for a big performance, and I stayed with her for two years. She booked me for every campaign, every red carpet, her tour. I travelled the globe with her. Fortunately I've worked hard to learn my craft, because she wanted to do it all — hair extensions, wigs, hair clip-ins, colour,' he told Pop Sugar.
Chris has also worked for Kim Kardashian, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry Christina Aguilera and Sofia Vergara - to name a few!
Is Chris Appleton married?
Not anymore. Chris tied the knot with Euphoria actor Lucas Gage in April 2023 in a star-studded ceremony - Kim Kardashian was the couple's officiant and Shania Twain performed. But sadly, Appleton filed for divorce from Gage after seven months of marriage, with a settlement being reached in June 2024.
Nearly two years, he has shared insight into the breakup for the first time. 'You can love someone and there not be a forever happy ending,' he told the On Purpose podcast. 'And just because it's not forever doesn't mean it didn't mean something.'
He continued, 'Any relationship I've ever gone into, I've learned so much from it—what's important to me in terms of boundaries, how I want to be loved, how I want to love—and that's a beautiful thing. It means you're always growing and evolving.'
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.