EXCLUSIVE: Celebrity barber who tattooed his entire face to look like a permanent CLOWN reveals he is now studying to be a PASTOR – despite admitting kids are terrified of his appearance

• Richie Esposito called Richie the Barber transformed himself to look like a clown
• He is now studying to become a pastor and hosts ‘service worship nights’
• The 37-year-old barber dreams of opening an amusement park like Disneyland 

A barber to the stars who tattooed his entire face to look like a clown is now studying to be a pastor – and has plans to one day open an amusement park that will combine his love of entertaining and faith.

Richie Esposito, 37, better known to his fans as Richie the Barber, took his love for clowning around to a new level when he had his face transformed to resemble the comedic circus character.

His nose is inked bright red, his cheeks blue, and his under eyes adorned with confetti dots. He also dyed his hair bright red to complete his clown-like appearance.

In addition, the dedicated hairdresser had silicone implanted into his eyebrows, giving him a perpetual look of surprise, and red ink tattooed around his mouth to make it look like he was constantly grinning from ear to ear.  

A barber to the stars who tattooed his entire face to look like a clown is now studying to be a pastor

Richie Esposito, 37, better known to his fans as Richie the Barber, took his love for clowning around to a new level when he had his face transformed to resemble the circus character

Richie’s nose is inked bright red, his cheeks blue, and his under eyes adorned with confetti dots. He also dyed his hair bright red to complete his clown-like appearance

The dedicated hairdresser had silicone implanted into his eyebrows, giving him a perpetual look of surprise, and red ink tattooed around his mouth to make it look like he’s always grinning

But perhaps the most attention-grabbing feature is his split tongue.

Richie, from California, has been intrigued by clowns ever since his grandfather took him to the circus as a young boy. 

After becoming ‘inspired’ by one of the juggling jesters, he began to paint his face with his mom’s makeup. 

‘My grandfather took me to a circus, where I met a clown that showed me how to juggle,’ he recalled. 

‘That clown inspired me so much that I started practicing juggling and painting my face with my mom’s makeup.’

Richie grew up in Orange County, the oldest of three boys. He was a creative child who loved drawing, playing guitar, and skateboarding. But his greatest passion was always making people laugh.

He got his first tattoo at the age of 17 – on his arm – and soon after, he became obsessed with body art, getting new ink ‘every week.’

‘I went crazy, returning every week to get another tattoo,’ he recalled. ‘I worked at Albertsons bagging groceries and spent every paycheck on tattoos.’ 

But perhaps the most attention-grabbing feature is his split tongue

Richie, from California, has been intrigued by clowns ever since his grandfather took him to the circus as a young boy. He’s seen left in 2003 and right recently

After becoming ‘inspired’ by one of the juggling jesters, he began to paint his face with his mom’s makeup

After high school, Richie headed to Hollywood to pursue his dreams of being a barber, where he slowly racked up a slew of famous clients 

After finishing high school, Richie headed to Hollywood to pursue his dreams of being a barber, where he slowly racked up a slew of famous clients.

Bruno Mars and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, as well as Jackass daredevil Steve-O (seen) have all had their hair cut or styled in Richie’s chair

Bruno Mars and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, as well as Jackass daredevil Steve-O have all had their hair cut or styled in Richie’s chair. 

As his career flourished, Richie said he ‘hid’ his love of clowns for ‘many years,’ but eventually, he decided to embrace it and become one ‘forever.’

He got his first face tattoo when he was 23 – and it was soon after that he started transforming himself into the circus character.

‘It started small, with a rose on my jaw, and gradually grew,’ Richie explained. ‘Then I got the clown nose. 

‘Then I had the smile tattooed on me. I blued [the skin on] my face because blue is my favorite color. I also did the eyebrow implants.’ 

Getting his eyebrows raised was a strenuous and painful process that involved him receiving 20 shots of anesthetic into his forehead before surgeons made an incision and put in the silicone.

‘It felt like I had been hit by a baseball bat in the head,’ he said of the recovery process. ‘I love it, though. It’s like clown eyebrows.’ 

As his career flourished, Richie said he ‘hid’ his love of clowns for ‘many years,’ but eventually, he decided to embrace it and become one ‘forever’

Getting his eyebrows raised was a strenuous process that involved him receiving 20 shots of anesthetic into his forehead before surgeons made an incision and put in the silicone

‘It felt like I had been hit by a baseball bat in the head,’ he said of the recovery process. ‘I love it, though. It’s like clown eyebrows’

Richie admitted that becoming a permanent clown has been ‘challenging’ for him, and that each time he got a new tattoo it was incredibly painful – but insisted that he has no regrets

Richie admitted that becoming a permanent clown has been ‘challenging’ for him, and that each time he got a new tattoo it was incredibly painful – but insisted that he has no regrets. 

He continued: ‘So many hours of needles stabbing my skin repeatedly with a lot of swelling. 

His looks might catch new clients off guard, but most quickly come to appreciate Richie’s quirkiness

‘But I did what I did because dreams can become a reality, and if you really want to do something in life, you can achieve all your dreams with just a thought.’ 

His daily attire matches his quirky personality. His wardrobe is filled with loud costumes, including plaid pants, polka-dot shirts, bright bowties, oversized shoes, and undersized hats – and he’s not shy to wear them to work. 

His looks might catch new clients off guard, but most quickly come to appreciate Richie’s quirkiness.

He has not only taken on a clown’s looks, but he also tries to act like one at all times – explaining that he’s ‘in constant performance mode’ and never wants the ‘magic to fade away.’

‘While many are intrigued by my persona, I proudly wear my clown identity,’ he stated. 

‘When I cut hair, I perform as a clown, engaging in all sorts of clown antics. I’m in constant performance mode, whether it’s throwing confetti to celebrate a birthday, providing tiny party hats, or showcasing tricks.

His daily attire matches his quirky personality. His wardrobe is filled with loud costumes, including plaid pants, polka-dot shirts, oversized shoes, bright bowties, and undersized hats

He has not only taken on a clown’s looks, but he also tries to act like one at all times – explaining that he’s ‘in constant performance mode’ and never wants the ‘magic to fade away’

‘When I cut hair, I perform as a clown, engaging in all sorts of clown antics. I’m in constant performance mode,’ he shared

Richie – who has an 18-year-old daughter – has certainly gained a lot of attention for his antics, and has racked up more than 158,000 followers on Instagram

‘Keeping that spark alive is crucial. Otherwise, you risk losing your touch. It’s all about staying sharp and never letting the magic fade away.’ 

Ironically, it’s the children who prove to be his toughest critics because sometimes they get ‘scared’ of him.

‘Working with kids can be challenging. Some are scared, while others are filled with joy, and that’s perfectly alright,’ he shared. 

‘People are unique, and I embrace that diversity. If you’re kind, I’ll shower you with love, but even if you’re not, I’ll still greet you with a smile, wave, and honk my horn. 

‘The choices I’ve made in life have always been driven by what brings me happiness, not the judgments of others.’

Richie – who has an 18-year-old daughter – has certainly gained a lot of attention for his antics, and has racked up more than 158,000 followers on Instagram. 

He received attention back in 2014 when he threw confetti at Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian while they were walking down the street in West Hollywood, which prompted the sisters to file a police report. TMZ reported that the case was not pursued.

He also hit Jennifer Lopez with a ‘confetti bomb’ while she was making her way through LAX in 2015. 

In addition, Richie the barber auditioned for America’s Got Talent in 2016, during which he showed off his juggling skills, but he did not make it to the next round.

Richie is currently studying to become a pastor – a calling he believes aligns with his path and purpose

He also has plans to open a clown school and dreams of one day starting his own amusement park on an 80-acre plot of land that he owns in El Paso, Texas

‘Much like Walt Disney with Disneyland, I envision a place that celebrates imagination and creativity, a place where dreams come true,’ he explained

In recent years, he has become a motivational speaker, using his story to encourage others to follow their dreams and embrace their uniqueness. 

And now, Richie is embarking on a journey of spiritual discovery and is currently studying to become a pastor – a calling he believes aligns with his path and purpose. He started hosting ‘service worship nights’ earlier this year.

He also has plans to open a clown school and dreams of one day starting his own amusement park on an 80-acre plot of land that he owns in El Paso, Texas, which he wants to call Richie The Barber Land.

‘Much like Walt Disney with Disneyland, I envision a place that celebrates imagination and creativity, a place where dreams come true,’ he shared.

Richie previously opened up about how his love of clowns has negatively impacted his love life. 

He admitted that most women weren’t into his bizarre look, but that didn’t stop him. 

‘Of course, all my girlfriends over the years [haven’t] liked it but I like it. I want to live my reality of what I see and not through the eyes of others,’ he said. 

‘Everyone is in their own reality and people try to tell others what to do all the time, but we should just let people be who they want be and only reflect on our reality with love and never force anything onto others.’

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