What Is Alopecia Areata? Jada Pinkett Smith Suffers from This Autoimmune Disorder Since 2018

American actress and talk show host, Jada Pinkett Smith, has made an impact in every role she has taken on. She started her career in 1990 with an appearance in the TV show True Colors and later guest-starred on Doogie Howser, M.D., and 21 Jump Street. Smith made her film debut in 1993 with Menace II Society. She and Will Smith went public with their relationship in 1995 and got married in December 1997.

Known for being open about both her successes and struggles, Pinkett Smith has always shared her journey without hesitation, including her battle with alopecia.

Jada Pinkett Smith’s struggle with alopecia

Jada Pinkett Smith has publicly spoken about suffering from alopecia areata. The Collateral actress suffers from this autoimmune condition. This autoimmune disorder attacks the hair follicles on the head and face, which results in abrupt and severe hair loss.

After experimenting with different hairstyles to manage the condition, she eventually decided to shave her head. Smith opened up about her diagnosis back in 2018.

She acknowledged feeling afraid during her Red Table Talk segment. Smith admitted, expressing how unsettling it was to witness the speed at which her hair began to fall while taking a shower. In 2021, she took the bold step of shaving her head completely. She learned to live with it.

The Set It Off star stopped using wigs as she knew that, being a public figure, she had the responsibility of making people aware of this disease. She felt it was important to explain her situation to young girls who might look up to her. Her candor regarding the condition has been well received, both before and after the scandal at the Oscars.

Jada Pinkett Smith shared that rapper Tupac Shakur suffered from the same condition

 Jada Pinkett Smith has shared that her late friend Tupac Shakur also suffered from alopecia. In 2018, she shared her own story of alopecia. She has since pushed for increased public knowledge of this illness.

Smith claims that in 1991, American artist Tupac Shakur began exhibiting symptoms of baldness. After that, he began losing his hair, and his hair loss was more severe than hers. Smith believes that Shakur didn’t talk about his alopecia because of the social pressures at the time.

Tupac Shakur tragically passed away on September 13, 1996, just six days after being shot four times by a gunman in a white Cadillac in Las Vegas.

What is this autoimmune disease?

Hair loss on the scalp or other places of the body is referred to medically as alopecia. One type of alopecia, called alopecia areata, occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss.

Like Jada Pinkett Smith, many other public figures have shared their experiences with alopecia. For example, actor Anthony Carrigan has had alopecia since he was three years old, and actress Viola Davis lost half her hair at 28 due to alopecia areata. U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley also opened up about her journey with alopecia in 2020.

While alopecia can affect appearance, it is not life-threatening. But still, the struggle is real.

Chris Rock’s joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head

At the 2022 Academy Awards, comedian Chris Rock made a joke about her bald head, saying it reminded him of Demi Moore’s look in the movie G.I. Jane. He said,

“Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it.”

This comment was enough to make the actress wince.

The world was aware of the Girls Trip actress’s battle with alopecia, and her first major public appearance following her complete baldness came at the 2022 Oscars.

Rock may not have meant to offend Jada Pinkett Smith, but her husband, the well-known actor Will Smith, took offense at the joke. He came onto the stage and gave Rock a public smack.

Jada Pinkett Smith said the slap saved her marriage

Although the couple faced a lot of public attention after the incident, one good thing came out of it: the slap helped save their marriage. Some marriages need therapy to survive, while others need a bit of fate. Later, the actress shared that the incident helped strengthen their marriage, marking a big turning point for the couple.

Pinkett Smith revealed that the slap brought them closer together.

That moment when everything fell apart made me realize where we really stood,

she said in an interview. After years of wondering whether to stay with Will, she realized at that moment that she would never leave him. She added,

I call it the ‘holy slap‘ now because so many good things followed.

In simple terms, the slap became a moment of clarity for their relationship.

Jada Pinkett Smith further shared in an interview that she was surprised when The Men in Black star referred to her as his wife during the Oscars incident, as they hadn’t used the terms “husband” and “wife” for a long time. She explained that they had been living separate lives since 2016, although they never officially divorced.