UPDATE: It’s being reported by TMZ that Chris Rock didn’t in fact know that Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from Alopecia.
According to TMZ’s sources, Chris Rock had no idea Jada had Alopecia before he told the joke on stage at the Oscars.
The source added that Rock “doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at last night’s Oscars after the actor/comedian made a joke at Smith’s wife’s, Jada Pinkett Smith, expense.
However, the question remains, did Chris Rock actually know that Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia?
That’s actually an important question because I, and many other people, didn’t know that the actress has been suffering with the disease.
Alopecia areata, also known as spot baldness, is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body.
Often, it results in a few bald spots on the scalp, each about the size of a coin, and it’s a horrible condition to suffer from.
One of the main reasons why it can be so awful is because there’s no real cure.
You can take medication to prevent all hair loss, but there’s still no cure for Alopecia as of writing this article.
Jada Pinkett Smith has been open about her struggles with Alopecia
Read more: Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock At The Oscars
Pinkett Smith opened up about her struggles with the disease in 2018.
The actor and musician has spoken publicly about the condition.
During an episode of her chat show, Red Table Talk, she recalled the “terrifying” moment she first noticed she was losing “handfuls of hair” in the shower.
Here’s what Jada had to say on the matter at the time:
It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear. That’s why I cut my hair and continued to cut it.
Ever since she opened up about her struggles with the disease, Pinkett Smith’s been attending events with cropped hair or has also worn turbans and headwraps.
Chris Rock definitely knew about Jada’s struggles with Alopecia
Credit: Getty
Read more: Will Smith Might Be Forced To Return His Oscar
Back in July 2021, she revealed her completely shaved head in a picture she posted of herself with her daughter, Willow, on Instagram.
Here’s what Jada wrote in the picture’s caption:
Willow made me do it because it was time to let go. BUT … my 50’s are bout to be divinely lit with this shed (shaved head).
She then followed that up with another post on Instagram last December.
Pinkett Smith revealed she was coming to terms with the disorder and said: “Me and this alopecia are going to be friends … period!”
She added: “Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something.
Pinkett Smith accompanied the caption with a video in which she showed followers a new area of hair loss that was going to be “more difficult to hide.”
What should Chris Rock do now?
Credit: Getty
Read more: Chris Rock Not Pressing Charges Against Will Smith After Oscar Slap
People on Twitter have come out in support of Jada since Chris Rock’s joke at the Oscars.
Given how public she’s been about her struggles with alopecia, it’s safe to assume that Rock knew about it, and that the joke was a reference to it.
It’s not good form to make fun of people’s real-life struggles.
The joke was not clever and it was not funny.
You could see that it made Jada very uncomfortable.
However, does all of this condone Will Smith’s actions?
No, it doesn’t! Smith should have used his words, not his hand.
I think the person we have to really think about during all of this is Jada.
She’s the one who’s been struggling, but also, you can’t start going up on stage and slapping comedians because they’ve offended you.
I think the best way forward would be for Rock to apologise to Jada for the poor joke and Will Smith should apologise to Rock for slapping him on stage at the Oscars.
What do you make of all of this?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages! And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!
That’s quite an assumption. You didn’t know but you assume Chris Rock knew. Not everyone follows Jada on Instagram, FB etc. Not everyone keeps tabs on her… or watches her show… or stalks her to make sure they see every interview.
Why else would Rock do the joke…? Because she’s bald…? She’s been very public about her struggles and these jokes have to get approved beforehand, so someone would have known and they would have informed Rock about her condition. He decided to go along with it anyway. But, this isn’t condoning Will Smith’s actions at all – as I explained in the article. I think you’re giving Rock the benefit of a doubt which is fine, but given the world we live in today, it would be virtually impossible for Rock not to know that Jada suffers from Alopecia.
Again, you’re assuming that he knew just because the information is out there. Have you even seen the movie GI Jane? Many women would actually take that as a compliment. Back when the movie came out women weren’t allowed in combat roles – but one bad-ass woman showed everyone that things needed to change.
Ed Lauder calls Chris Rock a liar. This is what irresponsible journalism looks like, folks.
You didn’t answer the question that the title of your article states. I literally came here to find this out. I wasted my time reading that.
Exactly! This article was simply click bait. Everyone is shooting off their mouth to the effect that he knew about her condition. I have yet to see anything other than innuendo. Whatever it is, I will take the answer. I didn’t know about her condition and it is some version of arrogant to think that everyone knew about her condition.
I AGREE.. ARROGANCE TO ASSUME CR FOLLOWS HER SUFFERING CAREER AND PODCAST KINDA GUY HE DONT SEEM LIKE
Click bait. Another author with really no info. Just BS article.
See. It’s fake news like this that is the reason the world is the way it is. Just for further reference. you can not ASSUME when writing a story. take a course on journalism please. you need to fact check and site your sources. I had no idea about her condition and to assume Chris did is way to big of a stretch.
Gosh
When a disparaging remark has to be followed with “I was only joking” it should never have said in the first place.
Since when is it ok to make comments about others which are personal, insensitive, bigoted, unkind, based on race, handicaps, faith or differences. All under the cloak of humor.
Finally! Someone took action. Enough is enough! NO MORE!
It is NEVER acceptable to belittle all in the name of humor.
Could Will Smith have handled ire differently. Of course. Unfortunately he reacted in the moment. Nonetheless, I hope his action got the message out loud and clear: Enough is enough!!!
When you hire a comedian for a show like the Oscar’s, that is exactly why.
Dude, everyone gets roasted at these things, and they aren’t even all comedians that do it. Get some thicker skin. The hosts were doing it all night. It wasn’t even the first time Jada was mentioned. Didn’t see Will go up and slap them when Jada sleeping with someone else was mentioned. Anyone that got upset should ask him to slap their mothers for raising a limp, soggy bit of bread
According to interviews from TMZ Chris Rock was shocked and did not know what he did wrong- he had no clue she had Alopecia and was just referring to her short hair cut. That is highly possible. Will Smith drew more negative attention to her, and I think he acted like an ass!
Just cause the info is out there, doesnt mean Chris knew… I didnt know!
I think she looks hot. Demi at the time was also hot. Absent the disease there is nothing negative in the joke. Indeed on one argument you could say it was a compliment. Rock has said he was unaware. Will Smith overreacted probably because something is happening in the relationship and he was hypersensitive of her. Either way it’s Will Smiths problem…. you can’t do what he did.
This incident highlights failings on all sides. The joke was clearly inappropriate, regardless of whether Rock knew of Jada’s alopecia. Will’s actions were clearly inappropriate. And the academy ought to have proper security in place to prevent stage intrusion. Learnings here for everyone.
I had no idea she had the condition till all this Oscars drama brought it up. If Chris doesn’t know her or follow her on social how the heck would he know either??
Will Smith was clearly seen laughing at the joke at first. Maybe he should have slapped himself first.
Really? Any major event that has a comedian for a host is going to have a few jabs at famous people in the audience, it always has. So now with the Hollywood alum, the ‘been there done that’ regulars, the crowd that has all laughed at others getting poked, now we have to pretend that certain people are off limits? Was it a horrible attack on her as a person? Are we going to sterilize art? Parts of society are jumping on the bandwagon to yell from the rooftops “look at me I stick up for everyone else”, whether they asked for your help or not. Stop creating villains just so you can be a superhero. What Chris said was his art and his choice, and like any other comedian he pushes the envelope and takes his chances, what Will did was simply against the law.
Like everybody else in this comment section, I just want to say this site is clickbait trash. The question posed by the headline is not answered in the article. At one point you claim, “CHRIS ROCK DEFINITELY KNEW ABOUT JADA’S STRUGGLES WITH ALOPECIA” but this claim is completely unsubstantiated throughout the rest of the piece. Journalism is not your calling.
Most unprofessional piece of junk I have ever read. Totally baseless and unsubstantiated. Not everyone follows Jade. She isn’t even an A-Lister so how can you assume that he knew?
I had no idea she was suffering from alopecia and in your own article even you said yourself and others had no idea she was suffering from it either and then you go and decide to place the blame at Chris Rock saying that someone had to have told him. How many times has someone messed up during the awards because of things they weren’t told. Will Smith even laughed at the joke before doing what he did and he’s been going for years and laughing when others are made fun of but attack someone who may not have known. He has his own career with his comedy work, movies, shows on top of his own family and you think he has time to read up on every celebrity out there and keep up with what’s going on in their lives when he’s living his own.
I agree and I believe that he did know, why? Chris knows the Smiths for many years and a few times they worked together, he also made a “joke” about Jada in Oscars 2016, so they have a history…
Stand up comedians try to be sensational, and I think he was trying to have a punch-line there, not thinking he will receive a “punch” in return.
But, if he truly did not know, I would expect an immediate apology to Jada, and such apology never came until now.