How WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s appearance has changed over the years

After five years surviving one of Britain’s harshest jails, Julian Assange is no longer the young bleached blonde surfer he once was. See his dramatic transformation.

When confident young Australian journalist and internet activist Julian Assange burst onto the public scene as a director of WikiLeaks, he wore a shy smile and a mop of bright blonde hair.

His website site was taking off and his database had grown to more than 1.2 million documents attracting a swag of media awards for its reports.

Just months later, when Assange held a press conference in London revealing a series of leaks of nearly 400,000 American military documents, detailing the torture and the abuse of detainees by Iraqi police, he had changed his look to businesslike.

How Julian Assange looked in 2012 with his appearance since changed after being imprisoned.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a house he was required to stay in near Bungay, England in 2012 as he fought sex allegations which were later dropped.

The bleached blonde surfer look had gone, swapped for a more sedate natural brown and he was sporting a suit and tie.

The following year when he was fighting his extradition to Sweden on sex charges – which were later dropped – he was seen wearing glasses for the first time.

While he was under house arrest to fight that action he grew a goatee and started to appear more casual in his appearance.

And then when he took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy his appearance began to change. His hair was longer and appeared to have greyed. He grew a moustache and small closely cropped beard.

Julian Assange was known for his bleached blonde surfer look.

Julian Assange during an interview inside the Ecuador Embassy in London. Picture: Supplied.

After three years in the embassy, he appeared to have put on weight while his hair had grown to past shoulder length and turned white.

By the time he was arrested in the Ecuadorean embassy in 2019 by Scotland Yard offices he appeared to be dishevelled and his all grey hair pulled back in a ponytail and a long scraggly beard.

Julian Assange in 2019 when he was transported police to Westminster Magistrates court. Picture: Getty Images

How Julian Assange looked like in 2015.

But when he was released on Tuesday morning from Belmarsh prison, one of Britain’s harshest jails, it was clear the toll of being incarcerated for the past five years had taken on him physically.

His face appeared bloated and he seemed to have put on weight. His trademark long hair had been cut and slicked back and was clean shaven for the first time in years.

Julian Assange boards flight at London Stansted Airport. Picture: X

Assange left Belmarsh maximum security prison on Monday morning. Picture: X

Assange is expected to face a court in the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday in his first steps towards freedom.

The 52-year-old – who has spent 1901 days in jail – is expected to formally plead guilty to one count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents. It would mean he would escape extradition to the US and be free to return to Australia.

Originally published as How WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s appearance has changed over the years