Rep. Ayanna Pressley explains deleted tweet tied to confrontation between Will Smith & Chris Rock

Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley posted again to Twitter on Monday as she attempted to explain a deleted tweet that was met with controversy, soon after a violent outburst on the Academy Awards show broadcast.

That broadcast featured a confrontation between actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock, when Smith slapped Rock following a joke.

Rock was presenting the Oscar for the best documentary, when he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith’s wife, because of her shaved head.

Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from a hair-loss condition, alopecia, of which she has spoken publicly, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Soon after the confrontation, Rep. Pressley took to Twitter, to support Will Smith and his actions calling for the alopecia nation to “stand up.”

Pressley also has alopecia.

She went on to say “Thank you #WillSmith Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives with alopecia in the face of daily ignorance & insults.”

The tweet was criticized for condoning the on-stage violence and eventually deleted.

Boston 25 News reached out to Pressley’s office via emails and a call for a statement about the deleted tweet.

On Monday morning, Rep. Pressley posted a series of tweets about the issue, saying “My life’s work has always been about trauma and healing. I’m a survivor - I don’t endorse violence in any form.

Pressley went on to refer to “deeply vulnerable & difficult moments that our families see” - referring to those living with alopecia. The post featured a picture of Rep. Pressley and her husband Conan Harris.

Rep, Pressley also tweeted that “Our bodies are not public domain. They are not a line in a joke - especially when the transformation is not of our choosing.”

“I’m a survivor of violence. I’m a proud Alopecian,” said Pressley “The psychological toll we carry daily is real. Team Jada always. That’s that on that

Chris Rock is scheduled to perform in Boston at The Wilbur on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, all of his shows had sold out.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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