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Chris Rock Was Unaware Of Jada Pinkett’s Alopecia Kenny Confirms

By Chinelo Eze

07 April 2022   |   8:20 am

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Following the Oscars unprecedented event where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, there has been uncertainty on whether Chris Rock was aware of Jada Pinkett’s alopecia condition. Chris Rock's brother Kenny has revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that Chris was unaware that Jada Pinkett-Smith had alopecia. "The joke was funny. It wasn't…

US actor Chris Rock speaks onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

Following the Oscars unprecedented event where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, there has been uncertainty on whether Chris Rock was aware of Jada Pinkett’s alopecia condition.
Chris Rock’s brother Kenny has revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that Chris was unaware that Jada Pinkett-Smith had alopecia.

“The joke was funny. It wasn’t hilarious funny, but I know that if he knew that she had alopecia … he wouldn’t make a joke about that. But he didn’t know.”
Speaking about the disregard Will Smith had for his brother Kenny said “It eats at me watching it over and over again because you’ve seen a loved one being attacked and there’s nothing you can do about it,” he said. “Every time I’m watching the videos, it’s like a rendition that just keeps going over and over in my head. My brother was no threat to him and you just had no respect for him at that moment. You just belittled him in front of millions of people that watch the show.”
Kenny also added that he did not believe Smith’s apology to be genuine.
“I might have looked at it differently had he initially apologised when he got on the stage and cried and accepted the award, but he didn’t, so, right there that tells me that it is something else, I don’t accept his apology because I don’t think it was genuine. … I think his publicist and the people that work under him probably advised him to do that.”

Will Smith made a public apology days after the incident via his social media page where he wrote “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” he wrote. “I would like to publicly apologise to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.” Smith added, “I deeply regret that my behaviour has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us, I am a work in progress.”