Maryland hairstylist reportedly charged with assault for dragging 15-year-old client over payment dispute

Jayla Cunningham, a hairstylist from Maryland, recently created headlines after she was spotted dragging one of her clients inside her salon on March 2, 2025. Cunningham has been reportedly charged with second-degree assault after the video of her actions went viral on different platforms.

Jayla's client was reportedly 15 years old. The video of the dispute was also shared by Fox 5 DC on X (formerly Twitter). The incident occured after the client allegedly tried to leave the salon without paying Jayla.

The video shows that the hairstylist pulled the client towards the door. While the client's identity has not been revealed yet, Jayla reportedly told the victim to sit down until she receives her payment from someone. Jayla is also heard telling the client:

"I'm not f*cking playing. You just tried to f*cking run. You lucky I ain't beat the sh*t out of you."

The client is being represented by attorney De'Aja Thompson from the law firm Jackson and Associates.

While speaking to People magazine, De'Aja referred to the seriousness of the case by saying that the victim was a 15-year-old child, and that whatever the hairstylist did to the girl should be considered a "mistake." Thompson said that such cases cannot be avoided at all and continued:

"This case is just one depiction of the reality of what happens when citizens take the law into their own hands. As a result, in this case, a young girl suffered physical psychological injuries for what ultimately turned out to be a mistake, and another young lady is now facing criminal charges that could have larger implications."

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Hairstylist reveals more details about what allegedly happened inside the salon

According to the New York Post, the hairstylist's court appearance is scheduled for April 18, 2025, and the charges against her were imposed last week on Wednesday, March 5. The outlet also reported that as per the teen girl's mother, Jayla had grabbed the victim by the hair along with the jacket while dragging her inside the salon.

In an interview with Fox 5 DC, the girl's mother stated that the payment was allegedly sent through the Cash App to another account instead of the salon, and that her daughter was attempting to undo the same. The payment amount was reported to be around $150.

Jayla also spoke to Fox 5 DC, claiming that the teen girl reportedly tried to run away without paying. A video of her interview was shared by FearBuck on X where she stated:

"I dragged her by her hood back into the salon until I could get paid or, you know, until the police come or until, you know, she let me take out the service, because it's like she literally ran outside, like she was about to be gone."

Cunningham mentioned that she was forced to do it so that she was paid without fail. She further stated that she had to shift her salon to another place as she was allegedly getting death threats after the incident.