Bill Maher says Jada Pinkett Smith's Alopecia 'not Leukemia'; 'Put on a wig'

Amidst the recent buzz created by Will Smith and Chris Rock's altercation at the Academy Awards 2022, there have been numerous reactions from various celebrity artists who opened up about the incident and sided with either Will Smith or Chris Rock.

One of them was the American comedian and actor, Bill Maher who argued over Jada Pinkett Smith, downplaying her condition, Alopecia, during the Will Smith-Chris Rock altercation at the Oscars 2022. 

Bill Maher calls out Jada Pinkett Smith over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock

According to Bill Maher's HBO political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher, the artist expressed his opinion on Will Smith smacking Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards when the comedian took a dig at Jada Pinkett Smith by cracking a joke on her baldness. While calling out Jada Pinkett Smith, he downplayed her condition and said, "I mean, alopecia, it's not leukaemia, OK? Alopecia is when your hair falls out ... there are worse things."

Stating further, Maher also mentioned how hair fall was a part of ageing for most people and one should be thankful to have such a medical condition as it is not life-threatening. "If you are so lucky in life as to have that be your medical problem, just say 'Thank God,'" he said. "It's not life-threatening. It's part of — for most people, 80 per cent of men, 50 per cent of women — it's part of ageing," he added. 

Bill Maher, later in the episode, also suggested to Jada Pinkett Smith that she could use a wig if the hair bothered her so much. He stated, "Aging is, trust me I know, it's the degradation of the flesh. It happens to all of us. And you know, just put on a f—ing wig like everybody else at the Oscars if it bothers you so much." 

Academy accepts Will's resignation

David Rubin, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president, accepted Smith's resignation and said in a statement, "We have received and accepted Mr Will Smith's immediate resignation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."

It further added, "We will continue to move forward with our disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, in advance of our next scheduled board meeting on April 18."

(Image: AP)