“We identity so much of ourselves with our hair”: Jada Pinkett Smith Says Alopecia Jokes Hurt Her as She’s a Black Woman, Will Smith Slap Turned Her Illness into a “Global Scandal”

"We identity so much of ourselves with our hair": Jada Pinkett Smith Says Alopecia Jokes Hurt Her as She's a Black Woman, Will Smith Slap Turned Her Illness into a "Global Scandal"
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Jada Pinkett Smith has been the center of attention for a massive scandal that took place with Will Smith and Chris Rock. Since then, the light on her has been far from positive. Since those events, she has started her own chatshow on Facebook where she is known to say a thing or two more than intended in the first place.

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Jada Pinkett Smith to release memoir in fall 2023 - UPI.com
Jada Pinkett Smith

Ever since she was diagnosed with Alopecia, it has been a difficult but, enlightening journey for her. She has a reputation for being a wise woman with a calm composure no matter what. The actress’s upcoming series on Netflix will be a documentary African Queens, it will follow the royalty of the continent throughout its seasons as Smith will be the executive producer of the series while narrating it.

Also Read: After Being Straight Banned for 10 Years by the Oscars, Will Smith Gets Ready To Make Big Bucks in Another Lucrative All-American Event

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Jada Pinkett Smith Addresses Her Alopecia Turning Into A Joke For Media After The Slap

Jada Pinkett Smith‘s diagnosis of alopecia had already been difficult for her. She was coming to terms with her hair not being with her anymore when it had been a big part of who she was. The spotlight that the slap during the Oscars put her has not been kind. Not because it made a physical difference to her but, because the media had not left a second to make jokes about her alopecia.

See the Couture Gown Jada Pinkett Smith Wore to the Oscars 2022
Jada Pinkett Smith during the 2022 Oscars

“So when you think about how people get a little older, and say what they need to say without a filter – they’ve earned that. When you get to my age, you get so settled in your skin, so comfortable in the knowingness of you, that you don’t get concerned about what other people have to say. The elders earn that.”

Pinkett Smith took it as a challenge and learned to grow from all the hate and insensitivity around her. The incident that took place between her, Will Smith, and Chris Rock had not only put her in a position where she was constantly judged but, it also slandered what was a very important and difficult moment for her.

Also Read: “We had to lose Will”: A Year After Chris Rock Oscars Slap, Grammys 2023 Drops Surprise Will Smith Performance, Cites Bad Boys 4 ‘Scheduling Conflicts’

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Jada Pinkett Smith Confronts Racism Throughout Her Career

Jada Pinkett Smith’s career began when she got small roles in television shows and was a dancer. This then started growing when she got herself a recurring role in the spin-off for Cosby Show in A Different World during the 1990s. When she first met Will Smith, she had only been 21 years old and while nothing had started sprouting between them, her interest had begun shifting from TV to movies.

Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith'le evlenmeyi hiç istememiş ve düğünde ağlamış | Independent Türkçe
Jada Pinkett Smith

“I was in a world where there hadn’t been a lot of learning about, or a lot of desire to understand, the Black experience. That’s a new thing. Now it’s politically correct: everybody’s got to understand each other or else it’s cancel culture.”

Being a person of color in the industry had come with its own problems that the actress faced quite often. She was told many times to straighten her hair when they were naturally curly and would fall beautifully around her. She admitted that the only way to deal with this racism was to be patient and approach it with love. Smith pointed out how racism and prejudice can overshadow what could simply be ignorance and ignorance isn’t something that can be blamed.

African Queens will stream on Netflix from 15th February 2023.

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Also Read: ‘Will Smith had actually given him his blessing’: Will Smith Reportedly Allowed August Alsina To Have An Affair With His Wife, Even Treated Him Like Family

Source: The Guardian

Adya Godboley

Written by Adya Godboley

Articles Published: 1412

An avid writer fluent in everything Marvel, Adya Godboley is an Assistant Content Lead for FandomWire. She has rich experience in critically analyzing all that is said in between the lines. Hopelessly obsessed with Greek Mythology, she is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in English. Adya has written over 1300 articles on various topics expressing her passion and love for all things entertainment.