In a recent interview with The Guardian, Jada Pinkett Smith opened up about her struggle with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss. This comes after Chris Rock made a joke about her bald head at last year’s Oscars, and Will Smith reacted by storming the stage and slapping him across the face.
The Set It Off actress told the outlet that her diagnosis has been "a great teacher." She added, "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.”
Following the infamous Oscars slap, Pinkett Smith said, “I learned a lot about detachment. And I learned a deeper beauty within myself, being able to let my hair go.”