A stepmum who took her 11-year-old stepdaughter to have her long hair cut short against her will has been branded a "Disney villain" by people online after the young girl was left in tears over the trim.
The woman explained that she has been in her stepdaughter's life for eight years and the pair have a "generally good relationship", but she had become irritated with the girl's hip-length hair as she claimed it was a "nightmare to take care of".
She also believed the young girl was "becoming vain" because she spent so much time taking care of her locks, so the mum decided to take her to the hairdresser to have it chopped off.
And despite her stepdaughter crying while sitting in the salon chair, the woman told the hairdresser to proceed with the cut because it would be "best for her".
In a post on Reddit, the woman said: "She has incredibly long blonde wavy hair, just past her bottom. It's a nightmare to take care of. It frequently tangles and she always needs help brushing and styling it before school. I'm not a morning person and I do not like having to wake up early to do a kid's hair.
"It's expensive to maintain as she requires more products, she insists on using hair oils which can cost around $11 and only last a few weeks. She also insists she has to use curly hair shampoo instead of regular shampoo and conditioner which is often over $10 per bottle. And she goes through it at a fast rate.
"I decided she had become obsessed with her hair, and I do not want her to become vain, so I decided it needs to be cut. I took her to the hairdresser as normal. In the car on the way down she said she wants to make sure the hairdresser doesn't cut too much. I politely explained that I would like her to cut her hair to shoulder length as it has become a burden.
"At first, she thought I was joking, but when she realised she started to cry. When we got to the salon, the hairdresser was reluctant to cut her hair due to her tears but I explained the trouble we have maintaining it and assured cutting it would be best for her. In the end, the stylist agreed and cut her hair.
"The stylist braided her hair and then cut it. She kept it. Her hair was now just past shoulder length and looked a lot darker. The car journey home was silent, I offered her McDonald's but she refused. She went straight to her room when we got back."
However, when the girl's dad came home from work, he was horrified to find his daughter "sobbing" in her bedroom, and told his wife he could no longer trust her around his daughter - leaving their relationship shattered.
The woman added: "I explained my reasoning but my husband wouldn't budge. He said if I had an issue he would have done her hair in the mornings and that he didn't mind paying for the products. He was so furious he said he no longer trusts me around his daughter and doesn't know if he can be with a woman who he doesn't trust with her. This broke my heart.
"I didn't mean her any harm, I was just so tired and I'm trying to reduce stress. I've always been the one to raise her and her brother and I'm just exhausted."
Commenters on the post were firmly on the young girl's side, with many slamming the stepmum for taking away her bodily autonomy, and some even branding her a "Disney villain".
One person wrote: "How DARE you cut her hair and take away her autonomy just because you have decided she is vain? What the absolute hell. I am seriously at a loss for words that you even have to ask whether or not this was an a**hole thing to do."
While another added: "You could give the Disney villains a run for their money, holy s**t."
And a third posted: "I hope he leaves you because you don't deserve the privilege of being a part of this child's life. What you did was abhorrent and she will likely never forget it. You took away her bodily autonomy. You betrayed her trust and your husband's trust."
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