A lot is being said about Hollywood actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke about Will’s wife, actor Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. But actor Sameera Reddy wonders why there is a lack of focus on the issue at the bottom of it all — Jada’s alopecia areata, a disorder that causes hair loss, and how “traumatising” it can be.

Reddy, who also suffers from the condition, says, “Can we bring light to actually what caused this all, which was a very personal trauma of a woman? What about her (Jada) feelings? In fact, alopecia areata, from my personal experience, has been more emotional [trauma] than a physical thing... I know that people are silently facing many kinds of personal, physical or emotional trauma. [We need to be] very careful before saying anything to anyone.”

After the slapgate stir, Reddy also opened up about her struggle with alopecia. She shared on Instagram that she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder in 2016, when her husband spotted a two-inch bald spot at the back of her head.

“My purpose of writing that was [to say] that I understand the pain of a woman, or anybody, going through that sort of personal struggle or disease. It’s very hurtful and painful,” the 43-year-old says, adding, “For someone to be told that for the rest of your life, you have to be worried about going bald or patches on your scalp, for no reason, it can be traumatising.”

The actor also points that she doesn’t take sides in the Will-Rock altercation: “In the name of comedy, people go to any lengths to get a reaction. That being said, violence is unacceptable.”