The mom of a 12-year-old said her daughter died by suicide after alopecia-related bullying

• Niki Ball is the mother of a 12-year-old named Rio, who died by suicide after experiencing alopecia-related bullying.
• Ball talked about her late daughter's experience with alopecia areata on an episode of "Red Table Talk."

When Niki Ball learned her daughter's classmates smacked her bald head and called her names like "naked mole rat," she realized how devastating her 12-year-old's hair loss could be.

Her daughter, Rio, was diagnosed with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss and bald patches, during the pandemic. Rio died by suicide on March 14, Ball said on an episode of "Red Table Talk." Co-host Jada Pinkett Smith, who also has alopecia, interviewed Ball about Rio's diagnosis and the bullying she endured, in the hopes of raising awareness.

Pinkett Smith first publicly shared her diagnosis in 2018 on "Red Table Talk," and has since shared photos on social media embracing her short hair. During the Oscars in March, host Chris Rock joked about Pinkett Smith's hair loss, when he called her "GI Jane," resulting in her husband Will Smith punching Rock in the face.

During the tearful "Red Table Talk" interview, Ball said Rio's alopecia started as a bald spot on her head at the start of the pandemic in 2020, then progressed to hair loss "by the handful."

Ball said Rio was "so strong" throughout this experience, and asked to shave her head when alopecia-treatment creams and injections didn't work.

"And so we did. And she just glowed," Ball told Pinkett Smith and her co-hosts Willow Smith and Adriene Banfield Norris.

After Rio shaved her head, she started wearing a wig she loved, said Ball. But when school went back to in-person classes, Rio experienced verbal and physical bullying.

According to Ball, Rio said she no longer wanted to wear the wig to school.

"She'd get smacked upside on the head walking down the hallway. And that was within the first two weeks, three weeks. It got really bad for her," Ball said. She added that Rio's peers called her "naked mole rat," "bug-eyed alien," and "Mr. and Mrs. Clean."

Knowing the situation was serious, Ball talked to Rio's teachers and the school's administration and reminded Rio of all of the people who do love her. Rio died three weeks after a particularly hard day at school, Ball said.

"She was so smart. She was just brilliant and she was funny. She was a great big sister. She loved reading and writing and sketching. She loved being in the band," Ball said of her late daughter.

Pinkett Smith thanked her for sharing her story, saying it illustrated "the devastation of this condition."

Later in the episode, the hosts speak with former NBA player Charlie Villanueva and a hair-industry professional about their alopecia diagnoses, and hair surgeon Dr. Meena Singh.

You can view the full episode on Facebook Watch.