The most shocking moment of the 94th Academy Awards has its roots in an autoimmune condition known as alopecia, which caused actress Jada Pinkett Smith to lose her hair.
The 50-year-old actress was the target of a quip from Oscars host Chris Rock, who looked at Pinkett Smith and joked that he “can’t wait for GI Jane 2,” and poked fun at her lack of hair, which is a little Demi Moore is remembered in the 1997 film GI Jane.
This resulted in her 53-year-old husband, Will Smith, taking to the stage and slapping Rock and later yelling at him from his seat, “Keep my wife’s name out of your friggin’ mouth.”
Shocking: The most shocking moment of the 94th Academy Awards has its roots in an autoimmune condition called alopecia, which caused actress Jada Pinkett Smith to lose her hair
Joke: The 50-year-old actress was the target of a joke by Oscar host Chris Rock, who looked at Pinkett Smith and joked that he ‘can’t wait for GI Jane 2’ and poked fun at her hair loss Demi Moore in the film GI Jane from 1997
It’s unclear if Rock knew of Pinkett Smith’s history with alopecia before making the joke at the Dolby Theater on Sunday night.
Pinkett Smith first spoke about coping with alopecia in a 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk.
“It was terrifying when it started. I was in the shower one day with only a handful of hair in my hands and I was just like, ‘Oh my god, am I going bald?’ she shared the program.
Opening: Pinkett Smith first spoke about coping with alopecia in a 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk
She added that she’s found a treatment to slow hair loss, but added that she’s open to “other ideas.”
“I get my little steroid injections and they seem to be helping but not curing, but they seem to be helping but I’m open to other ideas,” she said.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone for reaching out, to all the doctors and to all the holistic practitioners who have reached out to me for this head of mine. I appreciate that so much,” she continued.
Other ideas: She added that she’s found a treatment to slow hair loss, but added that she’s open to “other ideas.”
“And I take very seriously any recommendations that come my way,” she said.
Pinkett Smith decided to shave her head in July 2021 and shared an Instagram photo of her and her daughter Willow, who inspired the cut with her own shorter hair.
“Willow got me going because it was time to let go BUT… my 50s are divinely lit with this shed,” she said in her Instagram post.
Shaved: Pinkett Smith decided to shave her head in July 2021 and shared an Instagram photo of her and her daughter Willow, who inspired the cut with her own shorter hair
Willow: “Willow got me into it because it was time to let go, BUT… my 50s are divinely lit with this shed,” she said in her Instagram post
Consideration: “And I’m very considerate of any recommendations that come my way,” she said
She also opened up about her journey with alopecia on a September 2021 episode of Red Table Talk with Tiffany Haddish and Yvonne Orji, revealing that the decision to shave her head came from “that kind of expression and release.”
The actress said shaving her head gave her a sense of “freedown” that made her feel more connected to “the great divine” in a special way.
“It was a great relief. At that moment I just thought, “I’m done. I’m done worrying, I’m done caring. I’m just done,” she added.
Journey: She also opened up about her journey with alopecia on a September 2021 episode of Red Table Talk with Tiffany Haddish and Yvonne Orji, revealing that the decision to shave her head came from “that kind of expression and release.”
She last spoke about alopecia in a video in late December 2021, showing off her freshly shaved head.
‘Mom has to get it to the scalp so no one thinks she’s had brain surgery or anything. Me and this alopecia become friends…period!’
She said in the video: “Now I can only laugh at this point. You’re trying to live with alopecia and one day you suddenly look at this line right here,” she said, pointing to a line on her scalp.
Divine: The actress said shaving her head gave her a sense of “freedown,” which made her feel more connected to “the great divine” in a special way.
Line: She said in the video, “Now I can only laugh at this point. You’re trying to live with alopecia and one day you suddenly look at this line right here,” she said, pointing to a line on her scalp
“So it just popped up like that, so it’s going to be a little harder for me to hide, so I thought I’d just share it so y’all don’t ask questions,” she said.
She added that she would put some rhinestones in and say, “Make me a little crown, mom will do that.”
Alopecia is a condition that affects both men and women equally, although it is incredibly rare, affecting only 0.1% to 0.2% of the population.
Share: “So it just popped up like that, so it’s going to be a little harder for me to hide, so I thought I’d just share it so y’all don’t ask questions,” she said
The condition does not change life expectancy, although there is currently no known cure for alopecia.
Notable people with alopecia include Viola Davis, Barry star Anthony Carrigan, Friday the 13th star Derek Mears, American Ninja Warrior star Kevin Bull.
Actor Christopher Reeve was also diagnosed with alopecia after being paralyzed.
Do not change: The condition does not change life expectancy, although there is currently no known cure for alopecia
Notable: Notable people with alopecia include Viola Davis, Barry star Anthony Carrigan, Friday the 13th star Derek Mears, American Ninja Warrior star Kevin Bull
WHAT IS ALOPECIA?
Alopecia, which causes hair loss, is considered an autoimmune disease. The immune system – the body’s defense system – turns on itself.
What are the symptoms?
“Typically, one or more small bald patches, about the size of a 50p piece, will appear on the scalp. Hair may grow back in one spot while another bald spot develops. Hair can also be thinning all over the head,” says Marilyn Sherlock, Chair of the Institute of Trichologists.
what causes it
“For some reason, the body’s immune system starts attacking its own hair follicles. Special white blood cells in the body known as T lymphocytes cause hair to stop growing,” she adds.
Can worry make it worse?
Stress has been shown to prolong the problem.
Is it a hereditary disease?
There is strong evidence that alopecia, like other autoimmune diseases, runs in families. About 25 percent of patients have a family history of the disorder.
who gets it
Alopecia areata usually affects teenagers and young adults but can affect people of any age. It is just as common in men as it is in women.
Is there a cure?
There is no known cure, although there are various treatments that may be effective in some people.