'Fresh Prince' stars Will Smith and Janet Hubert end their longtime feud
Former "Fresh Prince" co-stars Will Smith and Janet Hubert have ended their longtime feud.
In the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion," which premiered Nov. 19 on HBO Max, the two addressed their issues and seemed to put aside any feelings of resentment.
Prior to filming, Smith and Hubert -- who played the original Aunt Vivian on the show -- hadn't spoken since 1993, when the latter left the show because she was offered a contract she felt was unfair.
"When I left the show, I had this new baby and no one -- family disowned me, Hollywood disowned me. My family said, 'You've ruined our name,'" she explained to Smith. "And I wasn't unprofessional on the set. I just stopped talking to everybody, because I didn't know who to trust, because I had been banished. And they said it was you who banished me. Because you were Will. You were a kid. It was hard."
"Everything was a threat to me," Smith explained. "Not you, the world. I was so driven by fear and jokes and comedy and all of that."
Hubert, 64, and Smith, 52, have traded barbs in the media in the past, with both reportedly alleging the other was egotistical. In 2011, Hubert famously told TMZ that she'd never work with Smith again, calling him an "a------."
"He is still an egomaniac and has not grown up," she said at the time. "This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology, which he doesn't know the word."
In the special, Hubert told Smith that at the time she was on the show, none of her co-stars realized that she was struggling in her personal life. Smith said that now that he's older and has more life experience, he understands how difficult it must have been for her "just to show up" on set.
"But you took all of that away from me -- with your words," Hubert said. "Words can kill. I lost everything. Reputation. Everything. Everything. And I understand you were able to move forward, but you know those words, calling a Black woman difficult in Hollywood, is the kiss of death. It's the kiss of death, and it's hard enough being a dark-skinned Black woman in this business."
Ultimately, the two were able to apologize to each other and they shared a hug.
"I'm sorry that I have blasted you to pieces!" she said with a laugh.
"The person I want to be is someone who protects you, not someone who unleashes dogs on you," Smith added.
