The star chopped her curly hair into a short pixie cut, which began as a prank on producers after sending them a photo of herself wearing a wig.
While they thought it would be a good idea to change Felicity’s look in the show, the hairstyle change was blamed for the steep ratings drop (not to mention hysteria) that followed, with many declaring it had “ruined” the show.
Sharing a “message to her past self” in a 2016 TV interview, Russell revealed the extent of the backlash.
“Whatever you do, don’t cut your hair short during the second season of Felicity,” she said during the late night show appearance.
“No, I’m serious. People will freak the hell out. You’ll get hate mail. You’ll even get death threats. But, gradually, your hair will grow back and your fans will forgive you, but you will never – and I repeat never – forgive your fans.”
In another interview, Russell recalled, “Strangers did come up to me on the street and say things like, ‘You were so pretty before you cut your hair.'”