Is Shaun White hinting at bringing back his long hair in his first TV interview since splitting from Nina Dobrev?

Shaun White appeared on the 3rd Hour of Today on September 16, making headlines not for breaking up with Nina Dobrev, but for something lighter a joke about growing back his long red hair. After five years together, their engagement had ended just days before; while he didn’t address the split, his comments gave fans something else to buzz about.

As White reflected on his upcoming role as a spectator at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan the same country where he made his Olympic debut back in 2006 he admitted mixed emotions. He’s no longer competing, which means processing the Games differently. Still, there’s something about returning to those roots, both physically and mentally.

Shaun White hints at bringing back his long hair

In the interview, with Italy playing a meaningful backdrop in his history, Shaun mused, almost half in jest, “I might have to bring the hair back.” The long red hair is part of what initially made him recognizable: the “Flying Tomato” image he carried during his early Olympic years.

His comment took off on social media fairly quickly fans shared throwback photos, reminisced about his old style, and speculated whether he really meant to grow it out again. The phrase “bring the hair back” became shorthand among posts for this possible change. It helped that many stories about his relationship with Nina Dobrev had recently dropped, so this lighter note offered a contrast.

Who is Shaun White, beyond the athlete? A three-time Olympic gold medalist (among other medals), who has now stepped back from competition. Nina Dobrev, an actress known for “The Vampire Diaries,” was his fiancée until very recently. Their split was described by sources as mutual, with respect, though still emotionally complicated.

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Taken together, the hair remark seems symbolic: perhaps a way of nodding to his past his youth, his identity even as he moves into a new chapter. It might just be a throwaway line, but it’s one that resonates with people who have followed his career from those early “long-red-hair” days to now.

In the end, yes Shaun White is hinting at bringing back his long hair, though very likely more in spirit or nostalgia than something we can confirm he’ll follow through with. Whether that happens or not, the moment speaks volumes: he’s embracing memories, transitions, and who he was before the competitions, the media, and everything else. It reminds us that public figures, too, have parts of their past that they return to when life shifts.

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