From losing handfuls of hair to cutting all of it off: Jada Pinkett Smith's journey with alopecia
Jada Pinkett Smith's hair became the object of Chris Rock's joke during the 2022 Academy Awards—something her husband Will Smith did not take lightly.
While the Red Table Talk host rolled her eyes at the joke, Smith shockingly got onstage to slap Rock across the face, taking offense at Rock's quips comparing Pinkett Smith's shaved hairstyle to Demi Moore's buzzed 'do in G.I. Jane.
There's more to Pinkett Smith's hairstyle that her husband took offense over. The actress revealed in 2018 that she was suffering from alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair to fall out.
Opening up about alopecia
During an episode of the Red Table Talk, Pinkett Smith told her mother Adrienne and daughter willow about how she started losing "handfuls of hair" in the shower one day.
"I've been having issues with hair loss," she said. "It was terrifying when it first started. I was like 'Oh my God, am I going bald? It was one of those times in my life where I was like literally shaking with fear."
"My hair has been a big part of me. Taking care of my hair has been a beautiful ritual," she added, recalling her thick locks.
Pinkett Smith consulted with experts about her condition, but they told her they don't know why it's occurring despite getting tests. She has also tried getting steroid injections to manage hair loss.
She has also since accepted her condition, maintaining a sense of perspective to help her cope. "People are out here with cancer, with sick children. I watch the higher power take things every day and if the higher power wants to take my hair? That's it? God you want my hair? When I looked at it from that perspective, it did settle me," Pinkett Smith shared.
Rocking new 'dos
Because of her alopecia, the 50-year-old actress kept her hair short since 2018 or wrapped it in a turban, which made her "feel like a queen." In 2021, Willow inspired her to shave all of her hair off.
"Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT... my 50's are about to be divinely lit with this shed," she wrote in July last year.
Pinkett Smith posted more about her hair loss in December 2021, sharing a video of a line that showed up on her scalp.
"So it just showed up like that and this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide. So I thought I'd just share it so y'all are not asking any questions."
However, she said she was going to make the best of the situation and put rhinestones on her head and make a crown.
"Me and this alopecia are going to be friends... period!" she captioned.
During the 2022 Critics Choice Awards, Pinkett Smith rocked her shaved 'do, wearing a nearly $50,000 diamond headpiece.
Fans and celebrities alike gushed over Pinkett Smith's Critics Choice look.
Tina Lawson, the mother of Beyoncé, said "Looking like a beautiful perfect sculpture."
"Wow," wrote singer Tyler Cole, who's part of a band with Willow.
Musicians Rapsody and Janhavi Harrison shared their love for the outfit choice, leaving heart emojis in the comments section of Pinkett Smith's post.
"Obsessed," wrote one fan, while another called the actress a "beautiful queen."
