While people around the world were shocked when actor Will Smith slapped comedian, Chris Rock, during the 2022 Oscars, his anger is understandable for some audiences. Smith’s wife and fellow actor, Jada Pinkett-Smith , attended the night’s festivities after extensively opening up on social media and other public spaces about her experiences with alopecia and hair loss. Smith did not take kindly to Rock referring to his wife’s head as an advertisement for “G.I Jane 2,” and it resulted in violence.
While debates about both Smith and Rock continue, people around the world are even more inspired by Pinkett Smith’s positivity about her alopecia and resolve to honor herself, even in the midst of scrutiny.
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Pinkett Smith said her alopecia will be her “friend”.
In December 2021, Pinkett Smith posted a video on her Instagram with the caption, “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!”
She discussed discovering a bald line going across her head and how she thought it best to tell people before they start asking questions about her health. She explained, “At this point, I can only laugh.” While not ideal, she seemed to embrace the changes of her head.
She’s reflected on what hair means to Black women.
From Jim Crow to daily life in 2022, Black women have had to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards, particularly when it comes to hair. Recently, Pinkett Smith shared a video about how, as a Black woman, she always had to hide her coarse hair in favor of straight styles while working in Hollywood. She explained that she was, “always trying to play the game” in the entertainment industry, even though she preferred her natural hair. She references the 2019 Crown Act in her caption, which rejects discrimination based on hair. Pinkett Smith eventually decided to stop saying yes to changing herself and “giving a crap what anyone thinks” of her bald head. She loves her head and wants other Black women to love their crowns, too.
When she first began losing her hair, it was terrifying.
During a 2018 Red Table Talk episode, Jada-Pinkett Smith opened up about her alopecia and how shocked she was when she first started losing hair. She explained, “It’s not easy to talk about, but I’m going to talk about it.”
When she was in the shower one day, suddenly she was losing handfuls of hair and wondering what was happening. In the episode, she explained that her hair has been a part of her for a long time, and it was an “oh my god” moment when she realized she may not have the choice to keep it.
Alopecia impacts many people.
Around 2.5-million people in the United States alone have been diagnosed with alopecia. Hair loss and bald patches are frequent side effects with this autoimmune disease, as the body attacks its own hair follicles. For women especially, the stigma that comes with hair loss can lead to depression, insecurity, and feelings of being alone. It’s unfortunate, but baldness and beauty are usually at odds when it comes to ideas of feminine attractiveness. Fortunately, Pinkett Smith has been a trailblazer for the beauty of baldness.
Pinkett Smith doesn’t let stigma keep her down.
While it’s so important for Black women to be able to be vulnerable and human, Pinkett Smith doesn’t let vulnerability keep her home in hiding. In fact, she’s a beauty icon that receives admiration for her leadership as well as her vulnerability as a person, woman, actor, mother, wife and advocate of self-love. While this Oscar upset has gone down in history for a few reasons, Pinkett Smith makes her own history with her positive outlook on her alopecia and acceptance.
She has millions of supporters.
With a whopping 11.8-million followers on Instagram alone, it’s safe to say that Pinkett Smith has had fans for years. So, when it came to her sharing her struggles with alopecia, she got nothing but love. In response to her hair, people have commented, “I LOVE IT” along with plenty of heart, flame and hands clapping emojis. Her Oscar look alone, garnered over 693,000 likes and non-stop admiration.
Her daughter, Willow, is her biggest fan
With the love and support of her daughter, singer Willow, Pinkett-Smith decided it was time to “let go” in her 50s and post pictures of herself without the hair she was accustomed to having. Not only is this mother-daughter picture the sweetest thing ever, especially since Willow is rocking a short look with her mom, it’s also a reminder to appreciate natural beauty.
Pinkett Smith is here for a season of healing.
Following the famous Oscars Smith slap, many people wonder if Pinkett Smith is okay. While she hasn’t publicly commented on her husband’s actions, she did post a simple yet powerful caption on her Instagram. She wrote, “This is a season for healing and I’m here for it.” There was no further context, but it seems likely that she’s means an overall time for healing in her life, perhaps for Smith too. One person commented, “1000%! We are in it, Queen! It’s such a blessing,” and another person wrote, “We love you.” While there’s a lot of controversy circulating, one thing is for sure, the people love them some Pinkett Smith.
She’s a shining light for many.
Healing has been Pinkett Smith’s mantra for quite some time, and that hasn’t changed. She’s a practicer of mindfulness, forgiveness, self-love and much more. Only days ago, she posted about the importance of self-love, including the words, “People can do things to us for sure BUT … are you willing to use your power of choice to change your circumstance? Are you willing to heal? Please say … yes. You deserve it. You are love and you are loved.” This post received over 2-million views as people felt pure inspiration from her words.
Let us know what you think of Pinkett Smith’s positive take on her experience with alopecia and if you feel inspired by her mindset.
