Leeza Gibbons welcomed special guest John Paul Dejoria, John Paul Mitchell Systems Chairman and CEO on her show Leeza At Night on Monday, January 24, 2005. In an endeavor to raise funds for the victims of the devastating Tsunami, which struck Southeast Asia last month, John Paul volunteered to have Leeza Gibbons cut off his signature ponytail for a donation of over $50,000 to the Red Cross Tsunami Relief Effort. The ceremonial cutting by Leeza took place at the Leeza At Night studios in Los Angeles on the morning of the 24th. The event was also covered by national morning talk show “Good Day Live.”

The 8,000 students of Paul Mitchell The Schools across the country with Paul Mitchell Distributors nationwide banded together to raise over $50,000 to help Tsunami relief fundraising efforts and to see the legendary ponytail removed.  The ponytail has been a part of John Paul Dejoria’s persona for his entire career exceeding 25 years. A true “rags to riches” story, Dejoria overcame homelessness to build from scratch his own true-life version of the American Dream–the hair care empire, John Paul Mitchell Systems–which now generates sales approaching $750 million per year.