Kyle Castile has spent years building the career his childhood bullies once mocked, but one of them recently came back with an unexpected request.
The award-winning hairstylist was stunned when the woman he says made his childhood “hell” suddenly wanted him to become her hairstylist.
What started as an awkward reunion quickly turned into something much messier, with people accusing her of showing that she hadn’t changed.
Highlights
- Kyle Castile’s former bully suddenly returned years later with a very different request: she wanted him to do a collaboration video.
- Their friendly exchange quickly unraveled after Kyle reminded her of the treatment he says made his childhood “hell.”
- The drama escalated further when her boyfriend allegedly stepped in with some serious threats.
“Bullies just never seem to want to be accountable for their actions, even when called out on it. She turned fast and has not changed clearly!” one person reacted.
Kyle’s childhood bully suddenly resurfaced years later, asking him to become her hairstylist
Kyle has built a successful career as a hairstylist, hair transformation specialist, and entrepreneur, with thousands of followers and millions watching his work online.
Recently, a woman from his past, whom he has kept anonymous, suddenly appeared in his inbox wanting to book an appointment.
“Hiya Kye. You're smashing life, and I'm so proud of you,” she wrote in screenshots Castile shared on Instagram.
“Can you squeeze me in sometime soon? I would love to start coming to you and support an old friend.”
Kyle told her his waiting list was already booked well into March 2027. But there was something else he couldn't ignore.
“I'm surprised that you've messaged,” he replied. “You didn't like me when I was younger, and even up until a few years [ago] you've not really been very kind to me. No disrespect, but you made my life hell.”
Rather than simply accepting the booking and leaving the past behind, Kyle decided to address what had happened between them.
The woman, however, saw things very differently.
She brushed off their history, telling him that what happened was simply “stupid stuff” from childhood and that he should move on because he was now around 30.
Kyle reminded her that what she dismissed as “stupid stuff” had left him carrying the pain for years
“The key is in the word 'years ago'. Let it go and let's make some videos of you doing my hair,” she replied. “We can show your work, and it also helps my [business too]. [Come on] Kye.”
But Castile wasn't interested in turning their past into social media content or pretending it had never happened.
“Honestly, in the most respectful way possible, I'm going to pass,” he told her. “For me, it wasn't stupid, and I'm sure you've grown and changed - just as I have.”
“It was genuine hell for me, I was isolated, called names, and that time of my life I've carried with me for years.”
Kyle made it clear that he wasn't claiming she was solely responsible for everything he experienced, but he just wanted to “leave it in the past and only move forward. I wish you wellness and all the luck in the world.”
Rather than accepting Castile’s decision, the woman laughed and accused him of thinking he was “better than [her]” and acting as though she had been “some monster under [his] bed.”
The conversation became even more personal when she attacked his online content, calling it “cringe as f**k,” before making another derogatory remark about his s**uality and masculinity.
The attempted reconciliation took an ugly turn when Kyle’s former bully accused him of thinking he was better than her
Kyle later shared the exchange online, explaining why the interaction had affected him so deeply.
“Once upon a time, this person was the first thing I thought of when I went to sleep. Worrying what they’d do next,” he wrote in the caption of his post.
For Kyle, the line between childhood conflict and bullying was crossed when someone targeted things he couldn't change, including “being who I am attracted to.”
Yet the hairstylist didn't see his past as something that had permanently defined him.
Instead, he said the treatment he experienced became motivation to build a life where those people could no longer hold the same power over him.
“It's wild to think that all of what she and others did to me has just been a burning fuel inside of me to conquer, grow, to make sure no one ever has that power over me again,” Kyle wrote.
“Now things are happening for me, now I'm truly breaking through, now I'm thriving - she wants to reconnect in a totally different capacity.”
After sharing the story, Castile made it clear that refusing the appointment was his choice as a business owner and as an adult.
While the popular content creator refused to let his former bully regain control, the drama escalated after her boyfriend got involved
But the situation didn't end with the rejected booking.
Kyle said the woman's boyfriend later contacted him and demanded that he remove his social media post, threatening legal action or saying he would come to the salon.
Again, Kyle refused to back down.
“I’m just a hairdresser trying my best,” he wrote in another update. “All of this because I passed on doing my childhood bully’s hair. I’m in my 30s; I decide who sits in my chair. I decide what company I keep.”
He also addressed what he described as the assumption that he couldn't defend himself because he is gay.
Kyle later said he had heard through others that the man would not come to the salon because of its CCTV cameras, but had threatened to “catch him slipping” elsewhere.
“I’m not hiding, I’m not scared, I’m ready whenever he is,” Kyle wrote in his final update. “Upon till that point, I’m gonna be here doing me. Always.”
“I’ll never be intimidated into making a decision. I’ll always make my own decisions.”
For now, Kyle said he was carrying on with his work as usual, while thanking the people who had supported him through the ordeal.
“She obviously hasn’t changed. She didn’t even take accountability or apologize and even tried to gaslight you,” one netizen fumed
