Janet Hubert said Wednesday that Will Smith did not give her a million‑dollar payout as part of their reconciliation, instead crediting the actor with practical support for her projects and public presence. The 68‑year‑old actress, best known as the original Aunt Vivian on The Fresh Prince of Bel‑Air, told The Big Tigger Show that her renewed relationship with Smith has been "so good" and described concrete help he provided.
Hubert said Smith and his team built a website for her, backed her animation project, provided access to his tech and social media staff to expand her online presence, and assisted with pitch presentations for streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. When asked directly whether Smith had given her millions, she answered, "He didn’t give me millions of dollars." Co‑host Jazzy McBee observed that Smith had given Hubert "the resources" she needed, and Hubert agreed.
Hubert also said Smith joined her at a Miami event for the Embrace Girls Foundation, an organization she has supported for more than 20 years. She said Smith spent about three hours with some 300 underserved children, handing out books and T‑shirts and reading stories while she presented her project.
The remarks come nearly five years after the two reunited during The Fresh Prince of Bel‑Air Reunion special on HBO Max, which marked the public end of a feud that lasted almost three decades. The original rift dates to 1993, when Hubert left the sitcom after three seasons and Smith publicly called her "difficult" and "unprofessional." Hubert has said that label damaged her career.
On the reunion special, Hubert told Smith, "I hated what you did. I just hated what you did. You took my career away of 30‑something years," as she struggled to hold back tears. Smith apologized on the show, acknowledging he had "went way too far" and had said things that were amplified by others. He has since publicly said he misjudged her value and role in the series.
Since the reunion, both actors have described efforts to repair their relationship. Hubert spoke positively of Smith's performance in King Richard, calling it the most enjoyable performance she had seen since Hidden Figures. Clips from her recent radio interview circulated on social media, where some fans welcomed the reconciliation and expressed relief at Hubert's apparent happiness.
Hubert's account frames Smith's support as an investment in her future work rather than a straightforward financial settlement. The details she disclosed underline a reconciliation that includes professional collaboration and shared public appearances, following decades of public tension rooted in Hubert's departure from the sitcom and subsequent comments about her conduct on set.