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Who is Erica Kious? Salon owner at the center of Nancy Pelosi saga claims she's receiving ‘death threats’

On Carlson’s show, when the news anchor asked her if Pelosi’s visitation was a set up by the salon, Kious denied it saying, the speakers’ assistant had called the stylist and made an appointment

One of the most powerful members of the Democratic Party, Nancy Pelosi’s latest visitation to a beauty salon is being widely discussed across media as more interesting and mind-boggling details have come to light. Pelosi was criticized for getting her hair washed and blown at ESalonSF in San Francisco, despite the government’s order to keep businesses shut due to the ongoing pandemic. 

The entire drama saw two sides to it, as Pelosi’s spokesperson told in a statement that the salon offered their service to the speaker and event told her that “they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business.” They further stated that the “Speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment”. Pelosi's visit to the salon was first reported by Fox News, based on a CCTV footage from the salon. The California congresswoman is seen walking through the salon with wet hair and without a face covering. She wore a black face mask before the stylist did her hair. 

President Trump lost no chance in deriding Pelosi. "Crazy Nancy Pelosi is being decimated for having a beauty parlor opened, when all others are closed, and for not wearing a Mask–despite constantly lecturing everyone else," Trump tweeted. "We will almost certainly take back the House, and send Nancy packing!"

People started getting curious as the entire incident lacked clarity. However, to provide more clarification on the same, television presenter and political commentator Tucker Carlson had invited the salon owner on the latest episode of his show ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’, during which he tried to get to the bottom of the controversy by asking multiple questions. 

Who is the owner of ESalonSF that Pelosi visited and what does she have to say about the issue?

The salon based in San Francisco is owned by Erica Kious. She explained in a phone interview with Fox News that she has independent stylists working for her, who also rent chairs in her salon to provide the service. She told the news network, “We have been shut down for so long, not just me, but most of the small businesses and I just can’t – it’s a feeling – a feeling of being deflated, helpless and honestly beaten down. I have been fighting for six months for a business that took me 12 years to build to reopen. I am a single mom, I have two small children, and I have no income.” She added: “The fact that they did this, and she came in, it’s like a slap in the face.”

During her appearance on Carlson's show when the news anchor asked her if Pelosi’s visitation was a set up by the salon, Kious denied it saying, the speakers’ assistant had called the stylist and made an appointment. “There’s no way I could have set that up” she adds further. She also established that her salon has had cameras for over five years and they weren’t just set up to capture Pelosi and get her involved in a controversy. 

However, when asked if her business was open for service, she said “no” and went on to explain the impact of coronavirus has had on it. Kious was seen discussing how she’s lost almost 60% of her clients in the past six months. 

Commenting on America’s most powerful woman visiting her salon and getting caught on camera, she said, “To be honest it was more hurtful. She’s been coming in for quite a while and just to see her come in and not wear a mask is what got to me.” She further noted that if Pelosi can come in without a mask why can’t she have regular customers or why are the establishments asked to be shut down.  

When asked if she could continue to stay in San Francisco, Kious revealed that she’s been receiving “hate messages” and “death threats” ever since Pelosi came under fire for visiting her salon. “It’s sad that my community is pulling this and saying I threw her under the bus when I didn’t. I think I am pretty much done there.”