Chris Rock Shock Explained: Comedian Apparently Didn't Know About Jada Pinkett-Smith's Alopecia
People have been calling it 'the Slap Heard 'Round The World' - Last night, during the 94th Annual Academy Awards, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's newly-bald head. In response, her husband Will Smith walked up onto the stage and slapped Rock clear across the face.
The reason Pinkett-Smith's head is bald now is because the actress was diagnosed with alopecia a few years ago, an autoimmune disease that, among other things, causes the body to recognize its own hair as a foreign object, usually resulting in it falling out. Jada recently decided to simply shave her head all at once rather than let the hair loss continue to happen gradually.
Anyone who had that information would most likely agree that Rock's "G.I. Jane" joke was in poor taste - but apparently, that was exactly the problem. Sources have told TMZ that Chris Rock had absolutely no idea that Jada Pinkett-Smith had alopecia.
Although rapper Diddy has apparently confirmed that everything is cool between the two actors, other sources have said the two haven't spoken since the slap. As a matter of fact, TMZ claims that multiple sources said that Chris Rock went straight from the stage to his dressing room, and didn't speak to anyone for the rest of the night.
Smith and Rock apparently still have not spoken.
Here's hoping that Chris Rock has the grace to simply explain his lack of context and the humility to ask forgiveness - and that Will and Jada have the patience and understanding to accept...but this is a complicated situation, so we're not sure what will happen next.
