Who are Chris Appleton’s children? Celebrity hair stylist recalls coming out to his kids
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Chris Appleton (Image via Getty)Chris Appleton, 42, has often made the headlines for working with renowned global celebrities. His popularity as a celebrity hairstylist also prompted widespread attention to his personal life.
He is a proud father to two kids, Billy Appleton and Kitty‑Blu Appleton. He welcomed them to his life with his ex Katie Katon, as Pop Sugar reported. Before Chris came out of the closet as gay in 2009, the ex-couple were together.
Accepting the truth of identity and revealing it to the world, particularly his loved ones, was challenging for him. In a recent conversation with Jay Shetty on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty, he opened up about his emotions of sharing the news about his s*xuality with his kids while expressing his raw emotions.
Chris kept the secret to himself until he spoke about it with his loved ones at 26, according to EDGE Media Network. Looking back at those days over a decade ago, he admitted to holding his breath about his true identity from when he was eight years old till he turned 27. At the end, he could not contain the secret to himself anymore, prompting him to come out and accept the truth in front of everyone.
Chris Appleton spoke about coming out to his kids
During his interview with Shetty, Appleton confessed that revealing the news to his kids was "the hardest part." While he knew who he was for a long time, he found it difficult to live openly as gay. He shared,
"[There was] the shame of, 'Well, I’m going to hurt all these people I’ve created this life with. So I kept pulling back, and I had to let go."
As The Independent reported, the popular hairstylist acknowledged being gay and disclosed his s*xual orientation to his ex-partner, Katon, after he felt he could "finally be honest." The duo were in a relationship for nine long years, and they had known each other since they were 13. Recalling that revelation, he told Jay,
"That was a process. I also had to respect that she needed to go through her own grief. Because I loved her. I really loved her. I didn’t want to be gay. I didn’t want to be different."
After embracing his identity in front of his childhood friend and ex-girlfriend, Chris Appleton came clean to his kids and family members. Remembering how he felt while addressing the news to Billy and Kitty‑Blu, he conveyed,
"The hardest part was telling my kids. And I think mentally for me, I couldn’t really ever get my head around that."
At that time, he feared his children to "get bullied" for his identity, and he wished to "protect" them from the external chaos.
In a powerful revelation on Jay Shetty’s podcast, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton shared his harrowing struggle with suicidal thoughts tied to his sexuality, expressing hope that his story may resonate with others in need of support. pic.twitter.com/0xBbxBCEbY
— Nyra Kraal (@NyraKraal) August 7, 2025Appleton realized "the things that kids say and how mean they could be," and he did not wish his children to experience such disappointing interactions. Expressing his heartfelt emotions as a cautious father, he further explained,
"I just didn’t want them to ever had that shame put onto them. In a way it felt like a disease, it felt like cancer and I wanted to cut it out. Like, 'if I could just get rid of that then I could be a good dad.' Cause that’s what they need. I just felt so selfish putting myself first."
On the recently released podcast, he revealed that his kids felt upset and confused after hearing the news. Admitting feeling "so much shame," he also confessed to thinking about ending his life. Reflecting on those days and heartwrenching moments, he continued,
"All of a sudden, I just felt like I just messed their life up. I felt like I'd failed as a dad because my job was to protect them. And if anyone ever hurt them, I would protect them. But I was the one hurting them. And I couldn’t understand that."
Discussing his suicidal thoughts, Chris said,
"I felt like it would be better for them to have a dad that was dead than a dad that was gay. And so I brought some painkillers, I brought a bottle of alcohol and I checked myself into a hotel."
Though the Appleton family was shocked to see Chris embracing this true identity, and the young kids were disappointed, he now shares a loving bond with both Billy and Kitty‑Blu. He often posts photos with his kids, offering sweet glimpses into their special moments together.
Chris Appleton and Katie Katon welcomed their son, Billy Appleton, on December 1, 2003, followed by their daughter, Kitty-Blu Appleton, on November 3, 2005. According to Pop Sugar, Kitty-Blu followed her father's footsteps and pursued a career in makeup and lives in Los Angeles, as mentioned in her Instagram bio. As a social media influencer, she also frequently shares engaging content online. Billy, meanwhile, is a student at Loyola Marymount University and a dedicated sports and fitness enthusiast.
TOPICS: Chris Appleton