Will Smith Confirms Janet Hubert Will Appear in ‘Fresh Prince’ Special
Written by SOURCE on September 11, 2020
The much-anticipated Fresh Prince reunion will include a surprising guest.
On Thursday, the show’s titular star Will Smith shared two photos from the 30th anniversary special, which was shot this week on the sitcom’s original set. One picture showed Smith smiling with cast members Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Alfonso Ribeiro, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. The second photo, however, is what really got people talking.
Smith is seen in studio sitting next to Janet Hubert, who played the series’ original matriarch, Aunt Viv. Hubert, who was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid in season 4. Hubert reportedly left the sitcom on bad terms, later accusing Smith of being an “egomaniac” who ruined her career.
“There will never be a reunion as I will never do anything with an asshole like Will Smith,” Huber said in 2011. “He is still an egomaniac and has not grown up.”
Shortly after Hubert’s departure in 1993, Smith suggested the actress left due to jealousy and a sense of entitlement.
“I can say straight up that Janet Hubert wanted the show to be The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show,” he told an Atlanta radio station. “She’s mad now but she’s been mad all along. She said once, ‘I’ve been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.’ No matter what, to her I’m just the AntiChrist.”
The reunion special will mark the first time Smith and Hubert will sit down together in 27 years. The shoot was described as “an emotional reunion and a candid conversation.” Judging by the smiles in the photo, it’s safe to assume the actors have buried the hatchet.
You can check out reactions to the first-look below. The Prince of Bel-Air reunion special will premiere on HBO Max this fall.
