Jada Pinkett Smith has been vocal about her hair loss and struggles with alopecia

Earlier than actor Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars Sunday night time, the comic made a quip about Jada Pinkett Smith that alluded to her shaved head.

“Jada, I like ya. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock stated, evaluating Pinkett Smith’s close-cropped hair to Demi Moore’s buzzcut within the 1997 motion movie.

Pinkett Smith didn’t smile or snort on the comment — possible as a result of she has a situation referred to as alopecia, which causes momentary or everlasting hair loss. The 50-year-old actor and TV host has been vocal previously about her expertise with alopecia and the way it has affected her emotionally.

“It was terrifying when it when it first began,” Pinkett Smith stated in a 2018 episode of her Fb Watch collection “Purple Desk Speak.”

“I used to be within the bathe in the future, after which simply handfuls of hair — simply in my arms — and I used to be like, ‘Oh my God, am I going bald?’ It was a type of occasions in my life the place I used to be actually shaking with worry. That’s a very scary expertise.”

Since going public along with her alopecia journey in 2018, Pinkett Smith has continued to be open about her relationship with hair loss. Right here’s what else the performer has stated concerning the matter.

Might 2018

Throughout the first season of “Purple Desk Speak,” Pinkett Smith revealed why she had been overlaying her head with a turban. After getting “each sort of take a look at there may be,” Pinkett Smith was advised she had alopecia.

“That’s why I lower my hair,” Pinkett Smith defined. “My hair has been a giant a part of me. Taking good care of my hair has been a fantastic ritual — and having the selection to have hair or not — after which in the future be like, ‘Oh my god, I may not have that alternative.’

“I actually needed to put it in a religious perspective of like, the upper energy takes a lot from individuals,” she continued. “Persons are out right here who’ve most cancers. Folks have sick youngsters. I watch the upper energy take issues daily, and by golly, if the greater energy needs to take your hair? That’s it? God, you need my hair? After I checked out it from that perspective, it actually did settle me.”

July 2021

Final summer time, Pinkett Smith declared it was “time to let go” of her hair within the caption of a candy Instagram photograph along with her daughter, Willow Smith, who additionally shaved her head.

“Willow made me do it … my 50’s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed,” Pinkett Smith wrote.

September 2021

On one other episode of “Purple Desk Speak,” Pinkett Smith elaborated on the choice to totally shave her head and stated that her husband “loves” the look.

“I used to be prepared for that sort of expression and launch,” she advised her mom, Adrienne “Gammy” Banfield-Norris, and daughter Willow.

“I’m so glad I did it. It was such a fantastic expertise and such a freedom. I really feel extra linked to myself and to the nice divine in a really particular approach. … I used to be identical to, ‘I’m achieved. I’m simply achieved with the fear. I’m achieved with the care. I’m simply achieved.’”

December 2021

Simply earlier than the New 12 months, Pinkett Smith found a brand new patch of hair loss, which she shared with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers in a close-up video of her naked scalp.

“Now, at this level, I can solely snort,” Pinkett Smith stated within the clip. “Y’all know I’ve been battling alopecia, and abruptly in the future — have a look at this line proper right here. Take a look at that. It simply confirmed up like that. And that is going to be a bit of bit tougher for me to cover. So I assumed I’d simply share it so y’all are usually not asking any questions.”

Within the caption of her publish, Pinkett Smith wrote, “Me and this alopecia are going to be pals … interval!”

“Mama’s going to place some rhinestones in there,” she continued, pointing to the uncovered pores and skin on her head. “I’m going to make me a bit of crown. That’s what mama’s going to do.”