Jada Pinkett Smith has addressed the Oscars slap on Red Table Talk and expressed her hope that her husband Will Smith and Chris Rock can 'heal' and 'reconcile'. Watch what she had to say below:
In a special episode called 'Alopecia: The Devastating Impact' which is dedicated to raising awareness about the different types of alopecia, Jada opened-up further about the incident.
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Jada has been upfront about her experiences with alopecia, which she discussed for the first time during a 2018 episode of Red Table Talk.
At the 94th Academy Awards this year, things took a drastic turn when comedian Chris Rock made a joke about Jada's bald head by referring to her as G.I. Jane, a film character who is also bald.
Moments after the comment was made, Will approached Chris on stage and slapped him, before returning to his seat and shouting: "Keep my wife's name out of your f*cking mouth."
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The outburst became the most discussed moment of the evening, with many viewers criticising Will for his actions. Alopecia sufferers and charities for those with the condition also released statements in the aftermath of the incident.
One woman tweeted at the time: "As a woman who suffers with alopecia. I get the stares, frowns and ridicule on a daily. I'm not condoning violence. I am honoured at Will for defending his wife, regardless of the stage."
Another Twitter user said: "I know Jada has been open about her struggles with alopecia. And as a woman who deals with alopecia, it's A LOT on you emotionally and mentally. Especially as a black woman. Our hair is everything to us. It's our crown."
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The charity Alopecia UK released a lengthy statement that said: "We wish to make it clear that we do not condone the actions of Will Smith and do not believe that violence is ever the answer for dealing with unwelcome remarks.
"But dealing with unwelcome remarks is unfortunately an all too real part of having alopecia. Baldness continues to be an easy target for obvious observational ‘humour’."
Will has since apologised for his actions and in an Instagram statement he called his behaviour 'unacceptable and inexcusable'.
For help, support and advice, visit Alopecia UK here.
Topics: Celebrity, Will Smith, Oscars