- Jada Pinkett Smith found herself at the center of controversy at the 2022 Oscars after her husband, Will, seemingly slapped Chris Rock over a joke about Jada’s shaved head.
- The 50-year-old actress has been open about her experience with hair loss due to alopecia, posting a video to Instagram late last year discussing her decision to shave her head.
- “So it just showed up like that and this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide,” said Jada in an Instagram video.
Jada Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggle with hair loss due to alopecia. But that doesn’t mean her husband, Will, is okay with people making jokes about her shaved head on national television. In fact, after Chris Rock made a comment about Jada’s appearance during the 2022 Oscars, Will went so far as to seemingly slap the comedian on live T.V.
Despite the drama that ensued, Jada isn’t letting her struggle with hair loss stop her from living her best life.
The actress and Red Table Talk host took to Instagram in December 2021 to share a video showing off her stunning complexion and offered an update on her hair loss journey. The 50-year-old suffers from autoimmune disorder alopecia and showed off the new bare patches that she noticed on her scalp.
“Now at this point, I can only laugh,” said Jada as she ran her finger across a bald line patch along the center of her scalp. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that.”
With a chuckle, she continued: “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.”
Alopecia is a condition in which the body attacks its own hair follicles. “Your body’s natural defenses don’t recognize your hair as one of the good guys, so your immune system attacks it,” said Adam Friedman, M.D., an associate professor and chair of dermatology at George Washington University, in a previous interview with Prevention.
Although hair loss is quite common, it can take a toll on a person’s confidence, research shows. That's why we applaud Jada for her upbeat attitude and confidence towards embracing her hair loss struggles. Rather than getting upset about the new lines along her scalp, the actress chose to focus on a more positive note. “You know mama’s going to put some rhinestones in there. I’m going to make me a little crown. That’s what mama’s going to do,” she said.
She even wrote about her relationship with the condition in her caption, saying: “Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something. Me and this alopecia are going to be friends…period!.”
The star first opened up about her issues with hair loss in a 2018 episode of the Red Table Talk. “It was terrifying when it first started,” said Jada. “I was in the shower one day and had just handfuls of hair in my hands and I was just like, oh my god, am I going bald?”
This past July, Jada made the decision to go bald after being inspired by her daughter, Willow Smith, and shared a selfie featuring her new look to Instagram. “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go, BUT…my 50s are ’bout to be divinely lit with this shed.”
We think so too and love that she celebrates her natural beauty. We can’t wait to see what selfies and videos the star will share next!
Shauna Beni is the Associate Commerce Editor at Prevention. An NYC native and beauty product lover, Shauna has written for Beauty Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, and ABC News. She enjoys testing out new beauty products, watching makeup tutorials on Youtube, and binge-watching her favorite shows on Netflix. When she’s not writing, you can find her taking Zumba classes at Crunch, trying out natural curly hairstyles, and giving her friends advice on what makeup and haircare products they should buy. Follow her on Instagram @Beni127.
