San Francisco hair salon owner ‘afraid to go back’ after Pelosi controversy, closes permanently

San Francisco hair salon owner Erica Kious said late Wednesday that she is closing her shop permanently after a visit by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ignited a controversy that led to “a lot of negativity towards my business.”

“I am actually done in San Francisco and closing my doors, unfortunately,” Kious told Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

“I started to just get a ton of phone calls, text messages, emails, all my Yelp reviews, saying that they hope I go under and that I fail,” she continued. “So just a lot of negativity towards my business.”

“I’m actually afraid to go back,” Kious, a 15-year resident of San Francisco, added. “It’s a little scary and sad. I do have a lot of positive calls and text messages from clients. But other than that, nothing but negativity.”

Pelosi went to the salon for an indoor session late last month despite a local edict that says stylists can only service customers outdoors due to the coronavirus pandemic. Video footage of the visit, which included Pelosi not wearing a mask while getting her hair washed, was leaked to Fox News by Kious.

Pelosi later called on Kious to apologize, calling the visit a “set up.”

More than $335,000 has been raised for Kious through a GoFundMe page.

A $300,000 goal for the page had been set for Labor Day.