Former NBA player Charlie Villanueva is speaking out about what went down at The Oscars on Sunday night. The former NBA player has battled Alopecia, the same hair-loss condition Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from. For those who (somehow) may have missed it, comedian Chris Rock was presenting the Best Documentary Award at the show and made a joke about Smith having a shaved head.
Will Smith, seeing that his wife was upset with the joke, walked on stage and slapped Rock during the live broadcast.
Villanueva wrote on Instagram that he understands the struggles Jada endures and is "proud" of Will Smith for standing up on her behalf.
Here's what Villanueva said in an Instagram video:
"She voiced that she struggled with [Alopecia], and Chris Rock thought it was cool to crack a joke. We are not with Jada everyday to know the level of the struggle, but Will does. As I don't condone violence, Im proud that Will Smith stood up for his wife."
Villanueva gave words of encouragement to others who are diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, tweeting, "Remember, you have Alopecia, Alopecia doesn't have you. Don't give up on yourself. Life is just as beautiful as you."
Villanueva is no stranger to getting ridiculed for suffering from Alopecia. Kevin Garnett allegedly told Villanueva in the middle of an NBA game that he looked like a cancer patient because of his hair loss.