Sheila Bridges condemns Chris Rock on Jada Pinkett’s joke: ‘I have alopecia’

Sheila Bridges condemns Chris Rock on Jada Pinkett’s joke: ‘I have alopecia’

Sheila Bridges, a woman living with alopecia, has recently condemned Chris Rock for his Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head joke at the 2022 Oscars held on Sunday.

Bridges appeared in Chris’ 2009 documentary Good Hair where she talked at length about her hair condition and the challenges she had to face during her hair loss journey.

In a recent interview with TMZ, Bridges said that she was “disappointed” and “a little surprised” by the comedian’s G.I. Jane joke.

However, little did Chris know that his quip would infuriate Will Smith and he would get a smack by King Richards’ actor onstage.

Sheila, the interior designer by profession, nonetheless criticised both stars’ actions, and added that both the joke and altercation would “help reinforce stereotypes about Black people”.

She further explained that the first stereotype is about Black women who can be disrespected in public, thinking that they are so strong that nothing can bother or hurt them.

“People assume we have this impenetrable armour and we are never to be protected,” remarked Sheila.

She said that when Chris made the joke about Jada’s hair, “to me he was publicly disrespecting yet another Black woman”.

Later, when Will reacts by playing back into this stereotype about “Black men, you know, being violent, not being able to sort of control themselves, I just feel like it was bad behaviour all the way around,” concluded Sheila.

On Monday, Sheila also shared a clip on her Instagram where she could be seen speaking to Chris for the documentary.

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