Lee Redmond, who once had the world’s longest fingernails, has tragically died at the age of 82.
Guinness World Records is saddened to announce she passed away on 14 December in Utah, USA.
The great-grandmother, who is in the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame, became an icon in the world of record breaking when she unveiled her lengthy fingernails in 2003.
She hadn’t cut them since 1979 and by 2003, they’d grown to a total length of 7 m 51.3 cm (24 ft 7.8 in), earning her the record for longest fingernails on a pair of hands (female).
Thanks to precise care and plenty of manicures, Lee’s nails grew even longer and in 2008, they were measured once more on the set of our Italian TV show Lo Show dei Record.
Then, they had reached a total length of 8.65 m (28 ft 4.5 in) and also became the longest fingernails on a pair of hands ever (female), retaining the title until it was broken by Diana Armstrong (USA) in 2022.
Lee had decided to stop filing and cutting her nails as a challenge to herself to see how long they could get before they started “twisting out of shape”, like many famous long fingernails had.
Her nails took on a very different appearance though.
She took such good care of them that they didn’t twist, but instead grew into long beautiful arches.
Every single day, Lee would treat her nails with warm olive oil and clean them with a toothbrush before applying one and a half bottles of nail hardener to each fingernail.
She’d then paint them her signature gold.
Despite what many might think, Lee’s nails didn’t prevent her from leading a normal life and she could still wash the dishes, use her mobile phone, cut her children’s hair and even drive a car.
She briefly considered cutting them off in 2006 after her beloved husband Donald was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but she changed her mind after realizing her nails did not prevent her from providing the care he needed.
Lee’s nails brought her international fame, but she sadly lost them in a car crash in 2009.
She once said of the incident: “I heard fingernails snapping, and I remember nothing after the feeling of being sucked out of the vehicle.”
Witnesses said Lee was thrown 25 ft through the air, landing on the road.
“The first thing I spotted was a fingernail,” she said.
Lee suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized after the crash. She made a full recovery, but sadly her famous fingernails were lost.
She said afterwards she felt she had lost part of her identity, but that it was something she “had to accept”.
Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said: "We're all terribly sad to hear of Lee's passing. What a remarkable human being - a kind, generous and compassionate woman who used her international fame to shine a light on the fact that we should all be celebrating our differences. 'We're all unique,' she would say, 'and this is a wonderful thing.'
"With her shock of white hair and of course her incredible golden nails, she was such an icon - a huge part of the visual identity of Guinness World Records. Indeed, the first thing I did when starting here as Editor-in-Chief was to invite Lee to London to meet her face to face and ask all those inevitable questions.
"I'll cherish the time we spent together, both in London and her home in Utah. Thank you, Lee, for playing a key role in the story of Guinness World Records and for teaching us the importance of tolerance and acceptance."
Lee often used her status as a record holder to give motivational speeches.
She once said: "One of the greatest things that I have done with them is going around to the junior high schools and talking about self-esteem. I go to self-esteem classes and tell the kids, 'It's OK to be different, as long as you are not hurting anyone.' And because, heaven knows, they need self-esteem.
"We're all unique. Every one of us. We all have some type of a talent. I am always saying, you know, 'Don't judge me just by my fingernails. There is more to me than my fingernails'."
Lee is survived by her children Dony, Mindy and Roby, her 14 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and her six siblings.
Her funeral is set to take place in Utah on 21 December.
Rest in peace, Lee. You’ll forever be Officially Amazing.
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