Will Smith is one of the biggest actors in Hollywood today and has become synonymous with Hollywood stardom. A name that represents charm, talent, and charisma, his decades-long career has given fans some of the best moments in cinema history. However, beneath the glitz and glamour lies a history of controversies.
Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Credit: via NBC
Long before the actor got embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of his life, aka the slapgate with Chris Rock, a long-standing feud with a co-star ended up marring his public reputation.
Will Smith and Janet Hubert reconciled in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion | Credit: HBO
Will Smith‘s rise to stardom began with his beloved sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Capturing him into the limelight, the actor’s portrayal elevated him in the ranks of Hollywood. However, behind the show’s humor and camaraderie lies one of the most infamous feuds of Smith’s career: his conflict with co-star Janet Hubert.
Janet Hubert was among the original cast members and starred as Aunt Viv in the first three seasons of the show, before departing due to ‘creative differences.’ There started the rumors that Hubert and Smith did not get along well and they began a very public feud that lasted for three decades (see Newsweek).
Despite the cast reuniting several times after the show’s end, Hubert never showed up and once even referred to Smith as an egomaniac and an a–hole to TMZ. After years of back and forth and a lot of name-calling, their feud eventually ended in 2020 when Janet Hubert (after years of being aversive to a reunion) reunited with Smith for an HBO reunion special. Revealing that she left the show because of a bad deal, the two buried the hatchet for good.
Recently, Will Smith even remarked on the feud during an appearance on Vice’s Black Comedy in America series, stating that he made a horrible error in misjudging his co-star (via PEOPLE).
It has been over two years since the infamous slapgate incident occurred at the Oscars 2022 when Will Smith ran to the stage in anger and slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about Jana Pinkett Smith’s alopecia. While Smith did end up winning an Oscar that night, he was subsequently banned from the event for 10 years and has been facing public repercussions for the same.
While things have improved for Smith, he apparently hasn’t forgiven Rock. Chris Rock, meanwhile has been facing a slew of problems in his life right now, and as per an insider close to In Touch, Will’s getting the last laugh and loving it. Moreover, the insider revealed that due to the bad press he got, Smith will never forgive Chris for ruining his life, even though he’s managed to pick up the pieces in the last year or so.
Even though the King Richard star apologized in a video, he still hates the guy and his smug attitude. Meanwhile, Rock has been going through some roadblocks in his own career, yet according to the insider, the comedian is not the victim and whatever is happening to Rock is karma for refusing to speak to Will or accept his apology. Well, only time will tell how this drama will end.