The UK awoke on Monday morning to the news that Hollywood A-lister Will Smith had slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars after making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's "GI Jane" haircut. In a shocking scene that was broadcast live around the world, Smith strode onto the stage and attacked Rock before walking back to his seat in the audience and shouting: "Keep my wife's name out of your f*****g mouth".
The jibe about Pinkett Smith's bald head clearly touched a nerve with the former Fresh Prince star as his wife had previously spoken candidly about her hair loss from alopecia. In December, she discussed her experience with the condition in an Instagram video, in which she pointed out a line that developed around her scalp.
She first revealed she had the disorder in 2018 during which she recalled losing "handfuls" of hair. She said: "It was terrifying when it first started. I was in the shower one day and then just handfuls of hair, just in my hands, and I was like 'Oh my God, am I going bald? It was one of those times in my life when I was literally shaking with fear". Despite the condition being relatively common, there remain misconceptions among the general public around alopecia, what causes it and how it can be treated.
