Sarah Jessica Parker made news in July when she dined al fresco with buddy Andy Cohen in New York City, and photographs of her gray hair at the meal rapidly went viral. Despite having a full head of grays, Parker’s natural roots provoked much discussion, with many debating the unequal standards of aging between men and women, particularly in Hollywood. Fans praised the 57-year-old And Just Like That… actor for embracing her natural color, but she wasn’t thrilled with the spotlight, especially because her herringbone highlights had just been bleached out by the summer heat.
“It became months and months of conversation about how brave I am for having gray hair,” Parker said to Allure on June 23, adding that it’s simply “too much” for her to spend time getting her hair tinted every two weeks. “I was like, please applaud someone else’s courage on something!”
Noting that the rest of the world is more concerned with her beauty than she is, the two-time Emmy winner noted that when she steps out the door, she has one aim in mind: “I want to feel OK — according to my standards.” I’m not even sure what those criteria are. But you know what it’s like to feel most like yourself, whatever that is. I’m not without conceit. I suppose I just don’t care about what everyone else thinks.”
Previously, the star addressed the double standard in the public’s reaction to images of her lunch with Cohen. “There’s so much misogynist chatter in response to us that would never. Happen. About. A. Man,” she wrote on the cover of Vogue in December 2021. “‘Gray hair, gray hair, gray hair,” she says. Is her hair graying? ‘ I’m seated next to Andy Cohen, who has a full head of gray hair and is stunning. “How come it’s okay for him?”
Parker concluded, “I know what I look like.” Adding that it “almost feels as if people don’t want us to be perfectly OK with where we are… whether we choose to age naturally and not look perfect, or whether you do something if that makes you feel better,” Parker said, “I know what I look like.” I don’t have a choice. So, what am I going to do? How can you stop aging? Disappear?” Meanwhile, Parker’s colorist, Gina Gilbert, told the magazine that Parker prefers “the gray to blend in with her blond” and schedules sessions every two and a half months.
Cohen, for his part, reiterated his old friend’s remarks on The Drew Barrymore Show in November, stressing that his own hair is indeed white. “She’s sitting next to me… and all the articles are about ‘Sarah Jessica Parker, she’s graying, she looks old.'” That was insane. “People just completely missed the mark,” the 54-year-old Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen anchor told Barrymore. “It was misogynistic, and she was absolutely right.”