‘Summer House MV’ Star Jordan Emanuel Hopes for More Conversations About Alopecia (EXCLUSIVE)
“I hope that as the season goes on, the conversation grows and that more people feel seen,” Jordan told ‘Distractify.’
Published March 22 2024, 12:12 p.m. ET
The Season 2 trailer for Summer House Martha’s Vineyard debuted in February 2024. The new season, airing on Bravo on March 24, 2024, revealed a new side of the always unfiltered Jordan Emanuel to fans and her friend group.
In one scene, the Playboy cover girl opened up to her friends about her journey with alopecia. While opening up about her diagnosis, Jordan gave a powerful message as she stressed the significance of hair in the Black community, particularly for Black women.
“As Black women, our hair is our currency,” she said on Summer House MV.
Ahead of the new season, Jordan spoke with Distractify in an exclusive interview about discussing her hair loss with her friends on national TV. She also explained why she wasn’t expecting the reaction she received.
Jordan Emanuel said discussing her alopecia journey on ‘Summer House MV’ came “naturally.”
Jordan has discussed having alopecia in past interviews and on her Instagram.
However, she admits she “hadn’t really thought about” how sharing her experience on the show could shift further necessary conversations about Black women dealing with similar issues.
“I think going into this season, I was aligning myself with what I was naturally going through,” Jordan said. “And I'm telling my friends what I would normally say, ‘Hey, this is what's going on with me’ when we're checking in. So I guess I never thought about it.”
Jordan was diagnosed with alopecia during her time as Playboy's Playmate of the Year. According to Mayo Clinic, alopecia, or hair loss, “can affect just your scalp or entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent.” It can also be caused by heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, or simply be a normal part of aging.
Jordan said supportive fan reactions helped her see how discussing alopecia on ‘Summer House MV’ was a “positive thing.”
Jordan's openness about her hair story has inspired many women. A 2016 survey found that 47.6 percent of Black women experienced hair loss. Despite not seeking attention, Jordan realized that sharing her truth could have a positive impact after seeing the reactions to her scenes in the Summer House MV trailer.
“It wasn't until the trailer dropped and I was getting the influx of messages from people going through the same thing that I thought, ‘Wow, this is a more positive thing that I ever really even thought about,’” Jordan shared. “I didn't realize it impacted so many people. So I will say that was a pleasant surprise.”
Jordan told Distractify that before fans’ positive responses, she had “reservations” about returning to Season 2, stating the “haters and the ignorance” from fans became “tough” for her to handle. However, she’s hopeful the new season will include more readable comments and said her story has already helped create meaningful dialogue in between the Summer House drama.
“I hope that as the season goes on, the conversation grows and that more people feel seen and less people feel alone,” Jordan said. “At least that's been the response so far.”
Summer House Martha's Vineyard airs on Bravo on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST.
