Sharing her story. Jada Pinkett Smith hasn’t shied away from discussing her struggle with alopecia and hair loss over the years.
The actress found herself at the center of controversy at the 2022 Oscars after Chris Rock joked that he was excited to see her in a potential G.I. Jane sequel, seemingly referencing her shaved head. While Pinkett Smith simply rolled her eyes during the March 2022 awards show, the Grown Ups actor’s quip sparked a strong reaction from her husband, Will Smith, who appeared to slap Rock in the face on stage. When he returned to his seat, he shouted at Rock, “Leave my wife’s name out of your f—king mouth.”
Pinkett Smith embraced her hair condition on the Academy Awards red carpet alongside the King Richard star, who took home the trophy for Best Actor that night. However, it wasn’t the first time she’s been vocal about her experience.
“It was terrifying when it first started,” the Maryland native recalled of her “issues” during a May 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch series, Red Table Talk. “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?’”
The Gotham actress explained that she had been wearing a turban to cover up her hair loss, revealing that it was not been an “easy” topic to discuss.
“It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear,” the Matrix Revolutions star told her mother, Adrienne Banfield Norris, and daughter Willow Smith. “That’s why I cut my hair — and why I continue to cut it. I just had [thought], ‘OK, I think we’re gonna do another layer of cutting,’ you know? And my hair has been a big part of me. Taking care of my hair has been a beautiful ritual, you know? And having the choice to have hair or not, and then one day to be like, ‘Oh, my God, I might not have the choice.’”
Alopecia is a condition that can affect an individual’s scalp or entire body and can either be temporary or permanent, per a description from the Mayo Clinic. It is often the result of genetics, hormonal changes, medical conditions or aging. Signs include gradual hair thinning, patchy spots or sudden loosening of hair.
The Madagascar voice actress — who married Smith in 1997 — made headlines in December 2021 when she completely shaved her head.
“Now, at this point, I can only laugh,” Pinkett Smith said in an Instagram video at the time. “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. 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.”
She added: “But 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.”
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Scroll below for more of her most honest quotes about her hair loss journey:
Pinkett Smith noted during a May 2018 Red Table Talk episode that she had taken “every type of test,” but doctors were still unable to deduce why she started losing her hair. “Even in my terror and even in my fear and in the moment of just going, ‘Oh, my God, like, why are you so terrified that you might lose your hair?’ I really had to put it in a spiritual perspective of, like, the higher power takes so much from people. People are out here who have cancer, people who have sick children. I watch the higher power take things every day,” she continued. “And, by golly, if the higher power wants to take your hair, that’s hair? When I looked at it from that perspective, it really did settle me.” YouTube
The Girls Trip actress — who shares son Jaden and daughter Willow with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum — joked that she hoped to make a rhinestone-encrusted crown along her scalp after shaving her head. Courtesy of Jada Pinkett Smith/Instagram
“Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT … my 50’s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed❣️😜,” she captioned a July 2021 Instagram snap, showcasing her freshly shaved hair. Courtesy of Jada Pinkett Smith/Instagram
“He loves it,” Pinkett Smith gushed about her spouse during a September 2021 episode of Red Table Talk after she shaved her head. “It was just time. I was just ready for that kind of expression and release. I’m so glad I did it. It was such a beautiful experience and such a freedom. I feel more connected to myself and to the great diving in a very special way. I was just like, ‘I’m over it.’ It was that moment. I was just like, ‘I’m done. I’m just done with the worry. I’m done with the care. I’m just done.’” Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Pinkett Smith stepped out at the 94th annual Oscars in March 2022, rocking her shaved head look. Her husband later defended her after Rock appeared to make a crack about her appearance. Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock
During a new episode of Red Table Talk, Pinkett Smith was joined by Niki Ball, whose daughter died by suicide after being bullied for having alopecia. In response, the actress explained that people need to develop "an understanding around the devastation" of the condition. Red Table Talk/Facebook
In September 2022, Pinkett Smith shared a new selfie in honor of a holiday close to her heart. "Happy Bald is Beautiful day to all my brothers and sisters with no hair❣️❣️❣️," the actress wrote via Instagram. Her Red Table Talk account also posted about the celebration, sharing an Instagram video of women discussing their hair on the show. "Bald is beautiful EVERY day, but we’re not mad about showing off a little extra today!" read the caption. "Where’s all our bald baddies at?!" Courtesy of Jada Pinkett Smith/Instagram
“I learned a lot about detachment and I learned a deeper beauty within myself, being able to let my hair go,” Pinkett Smith told The Guardian in February 2023, noting her diagnosis has taught her many impactful lessons. “It’s been a hard one, a scary one – because specifically as Black women, we identify so much of ourselves with our hair. And it was scary. I had to really dig deep and see the beauty of myself beyond my aesthetics.” Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
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