Julia Roberts’ Newly Blonde Hair Is Right On Schedule For Summer

When you think about Julia Roberts, your mental picture may include her signature red hair. That’s likely because some of her most memorable film roles, including My Best Friend’s Wedding and Pretty Woman, featured the actor in all her ginger-haired glory. That said, there’s always a kind of comfort in seeing the star sporting this trademark color. But because Roberts is just like the rest of us, she occasionally gets the desire to switch things up — especially as the seasons change. So it shouldn’t be surprising that she’s gone back to blonde just in time for the summer, and we are so here for the dramatic change.

The new hue was a surprise when Roberts popped up as a headliner for a President Joe Biden fundraiser on Saturday, June 15 alongside her Ticket to Paradise co-star George Clooney. And unlike the strawberry shade we’ve seen on stars like Margot Robbie and Elle Fanning, the color wasn’t so subtle of a shift. Her fresh blonde is actually reminiscent of Roberts’ role in Eat, Pray, Love, but even brighter. With so much hair coloring for roles or simply for preference, many actors are in a constant state of trying to repair their hair. But Roberts relies on her trusted team to keep hers in tip top shape.

Roberts’ go-to glam team consists of stylist Serge Normant (the man behind a few other iconic heads of hair, like Julianne Moore and Sarah Jessica Parker), who handles her cuts, and Kadi Lee, the colorist who has taken her from red to blonde and back again for nearly a decade. Of course, having access to the best in the business is what keeps the Leave the World Behind star’s hair health in tact, but Lee shared some sage advice about dramatic color changes that apply to anyone — and it’s actually so simple.

When unveiling Roberts’ 2024 blonde on Instagram, the colorist provided her top tip in the caption: process in multiple sessions. “When making drastic color changes, in this case from red to blonde, my approach is always the same — slow and methodical, while always keeping the health and integrity of the hair first and foremost,” she wrote. “Do not be pressured by drastic and unrealistic before and after pictures on Instagram. Those photos don’t depict the dozens of hours of work, and they are often heavily edited. In real life, things take time.”

So if you’re following Roberts’ lead and aiming for a lighter, brighter-haired summer, you may want to avoid the urge for quick fixes. Instead, find a colorist you trust, and create a plan that keeps your hair healthy while achieving the results you want.