What happened between Will Smith and Janet Hubert? Feud explored as former admits making a 'horrible error'

"Bad Boys For Life" Madrid Photocall - Source: Getty
Will Smith had a dispute with Janet Hubert after the latter left the show (Image via Pablo Cuadra/WireImage)

Will Smith has recently opened up on his past feud with Janet Hubert during a conversation on the show, Black Comedy in America. Notably, the duo started having issues ever since Hubert left the NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where they appeared together, after three seasons, as per Entertainment Tonight.

The outlet stated that Janet's exit from the show happened due to creative differences. A report by Complex stated that although Daphne Maxwell-Reid came in as a replacement, Smith later claimed that Hubert was attempting to take over the series.

Released on November 3, while speaking to host Chris Spencer on Black Comedy in America, Will Smith recalled his dispute with Janet Hubert by saying:

"I made a horrible error and misjudgment of her value and power and beauty to the show. I horribly underestimated what she was for me at that point in my life."

Smith and Hubert reportedly stopped speaking to each other after their feud, as stated by USA Today. However, the pair solved their issues while appearing together on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion, which aired on HBO Max in 2020.

In an interview with People magazine the following year, Janet addressed how she felt after she reconciled with Smith and said:

"If there are tree roots in the drain, the water doesn't flow. The drain has been snaked."

Will Smith and Janet Hubert's dispute ended around four years ago

As mentioned, Hubert's exit from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air led to her feud with Smith. According to Today magazine, the former reportedly blamed the Bad Boys star for her exit and spoke up about the same on different occasions over the years.

In 2013, Janet Hubert opened up on her exit from the sitcom as she spoke to Omg! Insider. She said at the time that Will Smith reportedly planned to replace her and behaved like nothing happened at all. Hubert also mentioned:

"Well honey, that is not what happened, is it? The world has let me know that my place on that show was very, very, very loved."
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Two years before making this statement, Janet Hubert claimed in a conversation with TMZ that a reunion would never happen since she did not want to work with Will Smith again. However, she stated that she would take part in a reunion if she got an apology.

Hubert said on the special that she was supposed to welcome a child before she left the show and a lot of things were going on in her life along with Will. Smith also stated in the special:

"During that time of her pregnancy, I wasn't sensitive, I wasn't perceptive, and you know, now that I've had three kids, I've learned some things that I did not know at the time, and I would do things very differently, but I can see where I made the set very difficult for Janet."

Will Smith and Janet Hubert resolved their feud as they spoke to each other

Hubert disclosed in her conversation with Smith on the special that her family disowned her since they believed that she ruined their reputation. Janet claimed that she was never unprofessional on the set, adding that she had stopped talking at one point since she could not trust anyone at the time.

Janet Hubert then revealed that she had to face the problems emerging out of an abusive marriage and Will Smith said in response:

"I can see now, the level of pain and the level of struggle that it was for you just to show up every day."
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Will Smith said that he understood the situation Janet Hubert had to go through at the time and continued:

"I could not do a 30-year celebration of this show and not celebrate you, celebrate your contribution to this show, celebrate your contribution to my life."

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered back in 1990 and ended in 1996 after airing a total of six seasons.

Edited by Tiasha
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