Rihanna: 'My Haircut Was Empowering' 9/16/08

R&B superstar Rihanna had her long hair hacked off and styled into her famous bob - to protest against her dominant record label bosses.

The Umbrella hitmaker admits that during the early stages of her career, her image was totally styled by music executives.

And she insists it wasn't until she cut off all her hair on a whim in 2006 that she realised it was time to take charge of her own life.

She says, "In the past I had no say in how I was presented. Those decisions were made for me, right down to the colour of my lipstick.

"I was in Paris and I fancied a change of hairstyle. I had my long locks cut off and came away with this cute bob. Someone from my record company saw me and said, 'It looks nice but it's just not you. We'll have to put extensions in.' I was completely crushed.

"That's when I realized things had to change. I make my own decisions now."