Oddly enough on Tuesday morning of spring break, 58-year-old woman Vivian Wheeler, the world record-holder for having an 11-inch beard, wandered onto Bakersfield College’s campus.
“I’m a celebrity, nobody knows where I’ll be tomorrow,” she said. “Living the life of a bearded lady is a 24-hour job. It’s a full-time job just being myself.”
After being examined by 30 doctors in St. Louis, it was determined in 2000 that her beard was real and completely natural, Guinness World Records made it official. Though deciding to take the step at large into the public’s eye was hard, it was already hard working for the Brothers Grim Sideshow.
“I wanted to be in Guinness, I wanted to be a mom and wife, I wanted to be accepted unconditionally in this world,” she said. “But we’re not. People have to turn to alcohol or drugs. I don’t want to be mentally and physically abused by people.”
Wheeler was born in 1948 with blond facial hair that she says she inherited through her English roots. And though now her hair is gray, her facial expressions lost and she is confined to a wheelchair due to osteoporosis, she is confident and religious in this chapter of her life.
“My life is different from others,” said Wheeler. “It’s the way the good lord wanted it to be. He’s letting me live, and I needed him in my life to feel whole in my heart to fill the emptiness.”
Like other people, Wheeler decided to find something to fill up her life to replace the children she gave up for adoption so that they could lead a normal life outside of the sideshow she worked for, Brothers Grim. Over 30 years later, her stage name Malinda Maxey, was left behind for a short time so that she could move to Oildale to be closer to her daughter, who is now 33 years old.
“I’m not letting society ruin my life anymore,” said Wheeler. “I wouldn’t have the facial hair if I didn’t want to. I wanted to lead my own life.”
Though currently residing in Bakersfield, Wheeler has traveled the United States and she plans on traveling and performing again.
“I’m proud that I am the bearded lady,” she said. “I plan on going back to work, I plan on doing talk shows like Oprah or Maury. I am even looking into being an extra in some movies.”