Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smith became emotional during Wednesday's episode of "Red Table Talk" as she spoke with an Indiana mom who shared the heartbreaking story of her 12-year-old daughter's journey with alopecia and the bullying she suffered as a result before committing suicide.
Alopecia is a hair-loss disorder that Jada and an estimated 6.8 million other Americans suffer from in the United States, according to WTHR. The disorder does not discriminate as it affects any sex, ethnic group, and age, and the symptoms can vary. It is even worse in some cases as it can impact a person's sense of identity.
Pinkett Smith's mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris made the introduction to the interview in the show, saying "Three months ago, this story broke our hearts." Rio Allred was diagnosed with the hair-loss condition after her family noticed a bald spot in December 2020.
Rio was so strong despite her sudden hair loss
Allred's mom, Nikki Ball, said on the show that even with the hair loss, Rio remained so strong. Ball said that she just rocked it, even when the hair was still falling out and she just had these big bald patches. Ball added that they tried creams and painful injections to save Rio's hair but they had no luck.
Ball said that Rio told her that she did not want to do those things anymore. The 12-year-old child asked her mom if they can just shave her head? Ball said they heeded her daughter's request and she just glowed after shaving all her hair.
On Monday, Rio Allred, a 12-year-old girl, took her own life. 🙏
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) March 19, 2022
Rio's mother says Rio was diagnosed with Alopecia in the beginning of 2021. Her family says she was bullied because of her medical condition.https://t.co/7RR34oTeG4
Allred's head was shaved right before the beginning of seventh grade, according to People magazine. Rio's grandma bought her a wig that she was thrilled to show off but when she returned to school, she was not met with the same kindness.
According to Nikki, her daughter was relentlessly bullied by her classmates. Rio later told her mother she did not want to wear the wig anymore. Ball said that Rio had the wig ripped off her head in school and she got smacked upside the head while walking down the hallway. Ball added that all of those things happened within the first two weeks of school.
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Constant bullying took a toll on Rio, who decided to commit suicide
Ball said the bullying, taunting and name calling continued even when her child stopped wearing the wig. The harassment was so bad that it got to the point that Ball was considering moving Rio to a different school or homeschool her instead.
Rio finally had enough as she decided to take her own life on March 14, 2022. Ball was emotional when talking about her daughter's suicide, saying "No one prepares you to sign a death certificate for your child or watching a coroner's van pull up or having to sit your 7-year-old down and tell her that her sister's dead. It was the worst day of my life."
Yahoo reported that the hosts of Red Table Talk became emotional as well, with Pinkett Smith thanking Ball for sharing this painful story.
