Will Smith, Janet Hubert Praised by ‘Fresh Prince’ Cast Member for Growth During HBO Max Reunion

On the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion for HBO Max, Will Smith and Janet Hubert (Vivian Banks) had a heart-to-heart moment as they recalled their past drama on the show’s set. During their conversation, the two apologized for their roles in the situation, which caused Hubert to leave the series after Season 3. In light of the reunion, Daphne Maxwell Reid, who took over the role of Vivian Banks from Hubert on Season 4, said that the two actors showed nothing but “growth” during their conversation.

While speaking with TMZ, Reid praised Hubert for having begun the role of Vivian on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when it premiered in 1990. She said, “She [Hubert] was a woman who I honor for having started this wonderful show. So, all I could do was treat her as I would treat anybody when I first met them, and mostly with a big hug.” Even though Reid later became a part of the comedy’s cast, she said that she didn’t know anything about the “friction between Will and Janet.” The actor added, “They never spoke about it. I didn’t know about it. All I knew was what social media was saying. And I didn’t know her so, I don’t pay any attention to that.” Still, the actor said that it was lovely to see that Smith and Hubert could put the past behind them during the reunion special.

“To see him reunite, for me, was such a growth of spirit for that young man to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I didn’t know, I’m sorry,’” Reid began. “For her to be able to say, ‘Yeah, we were mean to each other through the press, and I’m sorry.’ To see that was the best part of the reunion for me. But, I had nothing to do with it. So, I had no anticipation of how that was going to go because I knew nothing about the situation.”

Just as Reid discussed, Smith and Hubert were able to finally have a conversation about the drama on the set of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Among other reasons that she has shared about why she left the show after three seasons, Hubert once referred to Smith as an “egomaniac.” Smith, in turn, also hurled insults her way, as he labeled her as “difficult” to work with. However, on the HBO Max reunion, which premiered on Thursday, the two were able to have a candid conversation about the past in order to come to a place of “growth” and understanding.