Jada Pinkett Smith and other celebs who struggle with alopecia

There’s still a sense of shock and disbelief at what occurred at the 94th Oscars on Sunday evening after Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock live onstage.

Many people are wondering about the severity of Jada Pinkett Smith’s condition with alopecia and why her husband was so offended. 

While presenting the best documentary prize, Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s hair, comparing it to Demi Moore in G.I. Jane.

Smith took to the stage and slapped Rock before returning to his seat while shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f*** mouth”.

READ NEXT: WATCH: Mayhem at the Oscars as Will Smith slaps Chris Rock onstage

It can be assumed that the Smiths are fed up with being the constant butt of jokes after they decided to air their dirty laundry on Jada’s popular Facebook show, Red Table Talk.

Jada revealed on social media that she has been struggling with alopecia for the past two years. 

What is alopecia? 

Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder causing notable hair loss occurring in different parts of the head, according to WebMD. There are different types of alopecia, the most common is alopecia areata – losing almost all your hair. 

The main symptoms of alopecia are losing hair on small patches of your head at first, with the patches getting larger and eventually growing together into a bald spot. 

RELATED: Jada Pinkett Smith reveals her struggles with alopecia

Other stars that struggle with alopecia

Gail Mabalane 

South African actress and model, Gail Mabalane launched her own hair product range after she started documenting her hair loss experience online. She also began doing research with her hairstylist in an effort to strengthen her remaining hair.

Gail says the main thing women complained about with hair loss is that they too battled to find information and products that could treat their specific issue.

READ NEXT: ‘From hair loss to a hair care brand’ – Gail Mabalane is making moves

“Ethnogenics is more than just a range of products – it’s a hair care platform that seeks to enable better control over the pain of hair loss,” she said about her new product.

Viola Davis

Known for her award-winning roles in movies and series, especially for her role in How to Get Away with Murder, Viola Davis said she frequently wore wigs to hide her hair loss.

In an interview with Vulture in 2014, Davis said the hair loss started at the age of 28 and knocked her confidence. But the actress managed to regrow her hair over time. 

Jesy Nelson

Nelson was a member of the pop group Little Mix which is often on top of the charts in the UK and worldwide for their catchy tunes.

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Leaving the group in 2020, Nelson says her hair loss started at the age of 13 and was attributed to stress, a symptom that can cause alopecia. The singer has been outspoken about her thinning hairline and how she was bullied as a child for it.

Neve Campbell

Known for her role as Sidney in the Scream franchise the actress also attributed stress to her struggles with alopecia.  At the height of her career, the excessive workload whilst going through a divorce triggered autoimmune hair loss. 

Tyra Banks

Supermodel and TV presenter Tyra Banks says the stress and workload made her hair fall out, as she was juggling it all. 

In 2011, Banks says having multiple business ventures was taking a toll on her body. At that time she had the top model show, America’s Next Top Model, her talk show, studying, modelling across the world and managing businesses in her field.