Oscars controversy shines a light on Jada Pinkett Smith's 'struggle' with alopecia

Jada Pinkett Smith found her struggle with hair loss at the centre of an unexpected controversy at the Oscars on Sunday night, after her husband Will Smith appeared to strike comedian Chris Rock in response to a joke he made about her shaved head.

But while social media users were divided on the "King Richard" star's angry response, there was widespread support online for Pinkett Smith, who has previously opened up about her experiences with the condition alopecia.

"Jada is a CURRENT inspiration for SO many people who live with the same or similar subcategory of her condition," wrote one user. The writer Roxane Gay meanwhile said that although she didn't think the joke about Pinkett Smith's alopecia justified violence, she understood how it "could push someone over the edge."

Revealing her diagnosis in 2018, Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about the condition, which has no known cure. In 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.

"It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear," she said. "That's why I cut my hair and continued to cut it."