Will Smith Details Why He Was At Odds With Janet Hubert: "I Felt Threatened"

BYErika Marie4.8K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty Images
Will Smith, Janet Hubert, Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Red Table Talk
The actor sat down on "Red Table Talk" to discuss why he felt rejected by Hubert during their "Fresh Prince" days.

The reunion that the world has been begging for finally arrived when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast came together. It surprised fans to see that the original "Aunt Viv," Janet Hubert, would also be joining the reunion, considering that after she left the show following season three, Janet and Will Smith spoke unkindly about one another for years. With the reunion special came a conversation with Hubert and Smith as they joined together for a candid conversation 27 years later, putting their anger and misunderstandings behind them. Will Smith expanded on why he was so upset with Hubert during Red Table Talk, and it had to do with his upbringing.

Smith admitted that in his household, his father was a violent man. In order to ease the tension, Smith used jokes and comedy, but when Hubert, a classically trained entertainer, wasn't appeased by his humor, he took it personally. Then, when she rejected her contract offer for the fourth season of Fresh Prince, Smith said he saw it as Hubert risking his livelihood. As a young man, he also believed that was a threat to the emotional safety that the show had brought him.

"People laughing and people having fun was my defense mechanism," he said during the episode. "I felt threatened. At that point in my career, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air really saved my life," he said. "The Fresh Prince represented life." Watch Will Smith discuss his admitted mistakes below.


About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
...