Alopecia Sufferers Open Up On 'Stares And Ridicule' They Suffer Daily After Oscars Row

Alopecia sufferers are opening up on their daily struggles in the aftermath of the altercation between Chris Rock and Will Smith during the Oscars on Sunday evening.

At the 94th Academy Awards, things took a very dramatic turn after comedian Chris Rock made a 'G.I. Jane' joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith.

Moments after the comment was made, husband Will Smith approached Rock on stage and appeared to 'slap' him, before later telling him to "keep my wife's name out of your f*cking mouth".

G.I. Jane is an action movie from 1997, where lead actress Demi Moore shaves her head. It seems Chris' joke was in reference to Jada's shaven style, after the 50-year-old recently opened up about her experience with alopecia.

Ever since the night's events, alopecia sufferers have been taking to social media to discuss their own struggles with the condition, which is a disorder that causes your hair to come out.

One person wrote on Twitter: "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."

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While another said: "As a woman with alopecia, it's not funny."

And a third commented: "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."

And a fourth added: "I too suffer from alopecia and as a woman loosing [sic] your hair is detrimental! Chris need to read the room better and not talk about someone with a sickness."

"As a woman that also suffers from alopecia, it is not an easy thing to deal with. A woman's hair is her crown. When I first lost my hair I felt so ashamed and ugly. This was a time before wigs became popular. I was made fun of, called names, and humiliated," said another.

A sixth wrote: "Never condone violence but as a woman who has struggled with alopecia this 'joke' is absolutely shameful."

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Meanwhile, reality star ZaraLena Jackson added: "I think it's inappropriate to make any joke about someone with alopecia as its a condition that highly impacts mental health for that individual and isn't a laughing matter.

"I heard Chris made a GI Jane comment, which I've had before myself. I saw Will's reaction and all I thought was, 'where can I get one of those?'.

"To be clear, I don't condone violence, but him defending Jada showed strength in my eyes and was very comforting to see a man stand by his woman when she has alopecia."

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Following the events, Alopecia UK issued a statement. It said: "Alopecia UK does not condone violence in any form.

"Dealing with unwelcome remarks and being the butt of jokes is sadly an all too real part of having alopecia. This just adds to the distress and challenges faced by people with alopecia.

"In a world where it's unacceptable to make jokes about someone's race, sexuality or disability, we believe the same should apply to jokes about visible difference. Such remarks or jokes should be called out as unacceptable or inappropriate.

"At Alopecia UK, we understand the difficult emotions that people affected by alopecia may feel, including loved ones of people with the condition. Alopecia UK is here to support anyone affected by any type of alopecia."

For help, support and advice, visit Alopecia UK here.

Topics: Celebrity, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will Smith