For years, Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips fame has been known for her signature shock of red hair. But now, the 58-year-old singer has debuted a bold new look, sharing with fans that she had “waited seven years” to make the change.
In videos and photos posted to Instagram, Carnie, who was hospitalized last year, revealed her new honey blonde tresses, as well as lengthy hair extensions.
“I waited seven years to change my hair color!!! I love my red, but sometimes you just need a little bit of honey,” she captioned the post, revealing that the new look made her feel “rejuvenated”.
Carnie visited Syndicate Salon in Encino for the new look, and fans including Juliette Lewis were quick to comment, calling the look “perfection”.
“Gorrrrrgeeeeeeous!!!!!! You could be bald and you shine with beauty!” commented one friend.
© Carnie Wilson
© Carnie WilsonCarnie – the daughter of the late Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson – cofounded the iconic pop group with sister Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips in 1989.
The group was successful, and most well known for their song “Hold On”, and in 2003 Carnie attempted a solo music career. Her first single failed to gain any interest, and she reunited Wilson Phillips in 2004.
She was estranged from her father for much of her life, but they mended fences in the 1990s, and teamed up for the 1997 album, The Wilsons
© Carnie WilsonThe new look comes almost a year after Carnie was hospitalized when doctors discovered a stomach ulcer after she decided to have a weight loss lap-band removed. The ulcer left her blood pressure rocketing, and she suffered swollen legs.
“It was intense, there was an ulcer in there, it doesn’t surprise me with all the stress I’ve had this year,” she then told fans in an Instagram video.
© Getty ImagesCarnie’s weight has fluctuated over the years; she went from 300lbs to 150lbs after a gastric bypass in 1999, but 13 years later received a lap-band in 2012 after she gained the weight back.
It was removed in 2025; the Canadian Journal of Surgery reported that up to 80% of bands are eventually removed due to long-term complications including difficulty swallowing, excessive nausea, constant vomiting, or worsening reflux.
© Getty ImagesBefore her 2025 hospitalization, Carnie had already begun transitioning away from surgical interventions, turning to diet-based alternatives, including eliminating certain foods that helped her to lose 40lbs.
“This is 40lbs down. I feel really different. I need to start exercising more to make the scale start to move again, but I’m so proud and pumped,” she shared in 2024.
“Knowing that I did this PURELY through diet – no gluten or sugar, no butter and keeping fats down too. Lately I have indulged in cheese and nuts which have more fat. If I chose not to eat corn tortillas, nuts and cheese – there’s no way I could keep this up.”
Carnie told People that she knew she had to make a change after reaching 240lbs and experiencing joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, and high cholesterol.
Her diet now includes a typical breakfast of cottage cheese, blueberries, and turkey bacon, while snacks are now cheese sticks, hardboiled eggs and carrots over processed sugar.
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