Memphis Stylist Allegedly Cuts Out Clients Braids, Calls for Weapon In Payment Dispute

A Tennessee couple is facing time behind bars for allegedly attacking a woman over payment for a hairstyle.

According to WMC, Jazmine Withers and Markell King, both 23, face charges of false imprisonment and aggravated assault after reportedly attacking a woman in a Memphis apartment and cutting braids from her hair.

The local outlet reports that police were called to the apartment on Jan. 7 at 4:10 p.m. in response to a report of an assault. The victim was reportedly at the home getting her hair braided by Withers.

Cosmetologists are required to obtain a license in the state when receiving compensation for “arranging, dressing, curling, waving, cleansing, cutting, singeing, bleaching, coloring, or similar work on the hair.”

Yet, it’s unclear if Withers was licensed, but Tennessee law allows licensed cosmetologists to practice outside of salons.

WMC reported that the stylist and the victim argued over payment for services, which escalated into a fight.

Police say Withers and King blocked the client from leaving the apartment before Withers showered her with blows to the head and cut out the braids with scissors. The hairstylist then ordered King to grab a pistol from the kitchen, the arrest affidavit says, according to WMC.

Police say the weapon had one extended magazine with 12 rounds. The victim says she saw King return with a gun with a flashlight on it, but she was able to fight her way out of the apartment.

Both of the charges Withers and King face are felonies, and they could be sentenced to between one and 15 years behind bars in addition to fines if convicted.

While details of the payment dispute in this case are limited, hairstylists can call the authorities or take other legal action against clients who refuse to pay. The evolution of the internet has revealed an ugly side of the beauty industry where clients complain about extra fees, exorbitant costs, and bad customer service, and cosmetologists complain about customers with unrealistic expectations and bad salon etiquette.

Recent Kent State University graduate Joanna Georges took a New Jersey hairstylist to small claims court after the woman delayed her hair braiding appointment and then attempted to reschedule it for another day after Georges arrived at the salon, according to her viral TikTok video.

Georges refused and asked for a refund of her $100 deposit, but the stylist never reimbursed her, prompting Georges to take legal action. A judge ruled in Georges’ favor, awarding her the $100 and court fees, she said.

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