Daphne Maxwell Reid, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Karyn Parsons and Joseph Marcell have also taken part in the get together that marks the show's 30th anniversary.
- Nov 19, 2020
AceShowbiz - Will Smith brought back both his "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" character's Aunt Vivs for a reunion special, which aired on Wednesday, November 18.
The movie star shared a video clip featuring actresses Daphne Maxwell Reid and Janet Hubert hours before the 30th anniversary get together debuted on streaming service HBO Max and confirmed via Instagram that both would be part of the reunion.
"Two queens, one throne, all love! #FreshPrinceReunion tonight on @hbomax," he wrote in the caption.
Hubert played Aunt Viv on the first three seasons of the sitcom before being replaced by Reid.
The reunion ended a feud between Hubert and Smith after she blamed him for her departure from the show - and her struggle to find work as an actress.
Smith and Hubert addressed their long-running feud with Will joking, "Been a long time," when he greeted her on set.
"This has been tough," Hubert told Smith. "I just wanted to know one thing: why did you guys go so far? I lost so much... You have no idea."
Smith confessed he wasn't sensitive to his former castmate when she fell pregnant during the show's third season, adding, "I can see where I made the set very difficult for Janet."
She went on to reveal she was offered a terrible deal to return for a fourth season and turned it down, admitting she was deeply hurt by how quickly she was replaced - and her personal and professional lives took a big hit.
"I was banished... and they said it was you who banished me...," she told Smith. "I lost 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."
Tearing up, she then apologized for blasting Will "to pieces" in the media, prompting an emotional Smith to add, "The person I want to be is someone who protects you, not someone who unleashes dogs on you."
Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Karyn Parsons and Joseph Marcell also took part in the reunion. The late James Avery, who played Uncle Phil on the show, was remembered during a tribute.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" debuted in America on September 10, 1990, and became an instant international TV hit, running for six seasons.
The reunion show was scheduled to air on Thursday night, but Smith announced the show would drop a day earlier on Wednesday afternoon.
The get together ended with the former castmates all shedding tears as they recalled filming the final episode in 1996, before Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff performed the show's beloved theme song.
