
Jada Pinkett Smith Gets Real About Her Hair Struggles Over the Years

Jada Pinkett Smith is reflecting on past hair struggles that she has faced in her career. In celebration of the Crown Act being passed by the House of Representatives, the actress took to Instagram to share some insight on her hair journey as a part of her “Story Time with Jada” series.
For those of you who don't know, the Crown Act is a bill that disallows hair texture- and hairstyle-based discrimination commonly seen in the Black community.
With the caption, “Crown Act. Be proud of your crown,” Jada started the video off by saying,
“I had some definite hair regrets for sure specifically on covers. Where it was just, ‘what the hell?’” She then went on to explain what it was like being in Hollywood in the ‘90s where straight hair was “in.”
“Being a Black woman and dealing with hair in Hollywood, especially in the era that I came up in, having your hair look as European as possible was always the thing and that was really challenging,” she said. “Because I liked my hair out wild and curly but nobody wanted that.”
Due to pushback, the Girls Trip star found herself falling victim to society’s standards and wearing hairstyles she wasn’t comfortable with.
“So I always had to do my hair in ways that didn’t feel natural to me because of trying to play the game. So if I’m doing a cover, everybody’s like ‘no we love your hair straight and flowy’ and it’s like, alright, cool but that’s not really what my hair likes to do.”
She continued, “So I had to learn to get the courage to just go ‘nah, I’m not doing that.” Which is why I feel the freedom today. I don’t give two craps what people feel about this bald head of mine ‘cause guess what, I love it.”
Jada recently shaved her head bald due to alopecia, however, we have seen the beloved actress rock a variety of hairstyles over the years. Let’s take a look back at some of her biggest hair moments.
Pixie Cut
Jada Pinkett Smith in 1997.
Joe McNally/Getty Images
The pixie cut became the hairstyle that the mom of three was known for. Whether her hair was dyed platinum blonde or black or it was finger waves or curly, the cropped cut was her signature since the ‘90s.
The Nutty Professor Bob
Last year, Jada spoke about the bad experience she had with a hairstylist on the set of The Nutty Professor. During Red Table Talk, she explained that the reason why her wig looked so bad was that the hairstylist wouldn’t straighten the roots.
“She thought that the roots should be not smooth, but the hair should be straight,” she said. “She was like, ‘Well, usually for Black women, you don’t have straightened roots.’ And I said, ‘Oh no, we do. We either straighten it with a hot comb or we perm it.’ But she didn’t believe me. So, she made it with roots that weren’t straight, but the hair was.”
Set It Off Braids
Jada Pinkett Smith and Blair Underwood in the 1996 film 'Set It Off.'
New Line Cinema/Getty Images
Jada’s box braid bob in Set It Off is one of her most iconic looks and a classic ‘90s hairstyle. On an episode of Red Table Talk, the actress who played Stony reflected on the moment her character cut her hair off in the film.
“Cutting my hair in Set It Off, So that particular scene I had already had so much loss and I had already, like, lost so many friends, and so I really reflected on those that I loved that I had lost, you know, and how everybody doesn’t make it and how you can be sitting with great fortune and have so much loss have so much pain,” she said.
Inches for Days
Jada Pinkett Smith in 2003.
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage via Getty Images
In the early to mid-2000s, Jada was all about length and rocked hairstyles that allowed her natural hair to flourish. From tight curls to loose waves, to low buns and wearing it straight, Jada showed that her long locks had range throughout much of the decade.
Bald and Beautiful
Jada Pinkett Smith in 2018.
Gabriel Olsen/WireImage via Getty Images
In 2018, the actress made the tearful admission on her Facebook Watch show that she was suffering from hair loss. After trying to disguise the hair loss by wearing turbans, she finally decided to chop all of her hair off last year. She debuted the new look in an Instagram post with her daughter Willow.
“Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT … my 50’s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed,” she wrote.
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Featured image by Amy Sussman/WireImage via Getty Images
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On her debut album,CTRL,SZA crooned about her desire to be a “Normal Girl.” Now, nearly eight years since its release, her Not Beauty line represents her commitment to existing outside of traditional beauty norms.
The singer whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe first teased the idea of a lip gloss line during Super Bowl LIX in February, noting that the release would be happening “very shortly.” Not Beauty debuted simultaneously with the Grand National Tour, which she co-headlines with Kendrick Lamar, in Minneapolis on April 19.
Each Not Beauty pop-up would offer fans the opportunity to purchase the glosses, learn more about the brand, and have the opportunity to meet the superstar in the flesh regardless of their ticket status.
During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
Courtesy
So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
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What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
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Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
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Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
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Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
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