A 29-year-old woman who was diagnosed with alopecia years ago has praised Will Smith’s explosive reaction after the Oscar winner slapped Chris Rock during the awards ceremony.
The actor hit the comedian after he joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair, saying she was set to make GI Jane 2.
Smith immediately stormed the stage and slapped Rock, shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth!”
ZaraLena Jackson from Lancashire has praised Smith’s actions and said that even though she doesn’t condone violence, Rock should’ve ‘known better.’
“I think it’s inappropriate to make any joke about someone with alopecia as it’s a condition that highly impacts mental health for that individual and isn’t a laughing matter,” ZaraLena expressed.
“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?’”
Jackson continued: “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.
‘Being a comedian is very tongue-in-cheek and we all dislike when jokes are targeted as us, regardless of the subject. But he [Chris Rock] should of anticipated that response naturally and known better.”
It was in 2020 when Jackson was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease. Within six weeks, she had no hair left and said the condition felt like “torture.”
She also claims that she’s been the victim of cruel insults and believes she would feel grateful if she had a husband who also stood up for her as Will did for Jada.
“’I guess any comments around my alopecia depends on who they come from and what context they’re said in,” ZaraLena continued.
“I’m quite thick-skinned around it now so not much can phase me personally anymore. The worst snide comment for me is, “Oh wow, nothing is natural anymore, is it?”.
“For me, I always liked the idea of natural beauty, and I’m not saying no hair isn’t beautiful, but I now wear wigs and put on eyebrows to look “normal” or “natural”.
“I don’t have a partner currently, but if I did and he defended me, I’d feel comforted and proud,” she added.
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