TechCrunch Disrupt 2019 in San Francisco, CA. Photo by Max Morse for TechCrunch. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons @TechCrunch
One of the funniest shows of its time was not full of laughs backstage for the first three years of its run. Janet Hubert played matriarch Vivian Banks on the series. However, she certainly was not a maternal figure for younger members of the cast. Will Smith once shared the following about Hubert with a radio station: "I can say straight up that Janet Hubert wanted the show to be 'The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show' because I know she is going to dog me in the press." Reports claimed that Hubert was envious of such a young star leading the series, calling Smith an “asshole” in the press. Alfonso Ribeiro, who played her son, claimed that Hubert’s attitude “made it difficult for us to work.” When her contract ended after the third season, Hubert was fired and replaced. Nevertheless, her feud with Smith continued for years.
