Is Willow's short hair a sign of more changes to come for the General Hospital character?

On General Hospital, the newly divorced Willow Tait has made one questionable decision after another lately as she falls deeper in love with Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison). Willow has angered and confused many fans by showing undying loyalty to the morally challenged congressman, leading up to her custody hearing against Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson).

Before she and Michael arrived at the courtroom for the hearing, Willow made another drastic decision that has not angered fans, but still leaves them with questions.

Willow's new haircut caught General Hospital viewers by surprise

In mid-May, Willow surprised General Hospital viewers by showing up at the Nurses Ball on Drew’s arm with a much shorter pixie-style haircut that ended above her shoulders. When Michael was awarded full custody of Wiley and Amelia, the shorter hair was on full display during Willow’s public meltdown in the aftermath.

Since its debut, the haircut has not come up in conversation between Willow and Drew or any other character on the show.

Fans have generally been positive about the new style, with many saying it makes Willow and her fresh-faced portrayer look more mature and compatible with the much older Drew. Some believe it makes her look even younger.

As of June 15, MacMullen has yet to talk about the new “do” on her social media or in any interviews. She has not addressed whether the haircut was part of a plan with General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini or if MacMullen just decided to do something different for herself.

General Hospital's Katelyn MacMullen as Willow Tait | Image: ABC

On June 6, MacMullen made her first grid post on Instagram in nearly six months. She showed a picture of herself with short hair in what appears to be a modeling shot taken by a professional photographer. She captioned the post: “Having a blast at @generalhospitalabc, hope everyone has a great weekend! 👊❤️😘”

Several General Hospital co-stars praised her looks. Drew himself, Cameron Mathison said “You’re crushing it” and MacMullen replied “♥️♥️ you’re the best!” Laura Wright (Carly Spencer) commented “You’re AMAZING”. Sofia Mattsson (Sasha Corbin) said, “My stunning and beautiful friend!!! 🤩❤️❤️❤️.” Braedyn Bruner (Emma Scorpio-Drake) commented, “seriously gorgeous,” while Eden McCoy (Josslyn Jacks) simply said, “Queen.”

In comments on the post, numerous fans praised the actress for her performance in the courtroom scenes, which earned her our Performer of the Week honor. As Soap Central's Hope Campbell wrote, the actress gave "a tour de force performance that we feel MacMullen has been waiting months to release.”

Numerous fans encouraged her to put that on her Emmy reel. One said, “Willow’s reaction in court should be your Emmy win! Well deserved! As mad as the fans have been at Willow our heart broke for a mother. Amazing performance!”

After the custody verdict, Willow fainted in the courtroom and ended up in a bed at GH, then was scheduled for a psychiatric evaluation. We’ve seen this coming as Willow has shown signs of reverting to her cult-like personality when she was under Shiloh Archer’s thrall at Dawn of Day. We have wondered if she has fully recovered from that trauma or the death of her biological son Jonah on his first day in the world.

A big hairstyle change can mean a big character change

Willow wouldn’t be the first female TV or movie character to abruptly cut her hair short at a pivotal moment in her life. It can signify a new identity, a fresh start, or a way to deal with trauma. Famous examples include Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, Natalie Portman’s character in V for Vendetta, Jenny Schecter from The L Word, and Seven from Stranger Things.

Willow’s bloodline includes her occasionally unbalanced mother Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros), murderous twin sister Nelle Benson (Chloe Lanier), and former mad scientist Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), so it’s fair to wonder if Willow’s mental break is temporary or will get worse in the weeks to come. It’s also up in the air if she will remain all-in with Drew or start to break from him as well.

So is MacMullen’s different look a sign of a changing Willow? Or just a coincidence? Time will tell when we see where Ms. Tait goes from here and MacMullen breaks her silence.

Catch Katelyn MacMullen in all-new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC and Hulu.