Source: Jordan Fisher / Red Table Talk
Alopecia is more than just a hair thing, contrary to what critics had to say after the whole Jada Pinkett-Smith hair joke at the Oscars. For millions of women, who suffer from hair loss, alopecia is a life-altering condition that affects their everyday life.
On an upcoming episode of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett-Smith, who has been candid about her struggle with alopecia, opened up to the mother of a 12-year-old girl, Rio Allred, who committed suicide after being bullied. Jada, Willow, and Gammy are also joined by wig designer Gina Knight, who was also diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, and a former NBA player, who speaks out about his pain.
“I always felt that my hair was problematic,” revealed wigologist Gina Knight about how her mother would manage her hair. “Up until the age of 8, she used to shave off my head – cut it really short and I figured that’s where I figured I get the anxiety of having a bald head. It just feels like ‘Oh, you’re problematic.’ At the age of eight. I said ‘Please don’t cut my hair again.’ So at the age of eight, I learned how to do my hair. And it became such an important of how I would connect with my Nigerian heritage.”
Later in the episode, Jada addressed the infamous Oscars slap.
“Now, about Oscar night … my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile. The state of the world today, we need them both and we all actually need one another more than ever,” she said.
The actress added: “‘Til then, Will and I are continuing to do what we have done for the last 28 years and that’s to keep figuring out this thing called life together.”
Pinkett-Smith made headlines about her own journey with alopecia. In March, she opened up about a line she discovered in her head due to alopecia atreata. “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,” she said in an Instagram video while stroking her buzz cut.
“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.”
Jada continues to use her platform to educate the masses about alopecia. Catch the full episode of ‘Red Table Talk’ Wednesday, June 1 at 9am PT/12pm ET on Facebook Watch.
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