Janet Hubert received a heartfelt standing ovation from Will Smith fans at an event Tuesday night.
According to PEOPLE, during the “Will Smith: An Evening of Stories with Friends” event held at the King’s Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, Smith shared unforgettable life lessons while discussing his memoir Will. The Independence Day actor spotted two of his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costars throughout the night in the audience. Karyn Parson, who played Hilary, and Hubert, who portrayed the original “Aunt Viv” in the show.
Hubert, 65, received a standing ovation along with whistles and cheers from fans in the theatre.
“Stand up, Janet. Get your flowers!” Smith said. “Take it in! Take that in!”
The two ’90s sitcom costars put their differences aside one year ago as they reunited with the rest of the cast for an HBO Max special based around the NBC sitcom. Smith and Hubert were able to sit down and have an honest conversation for the first time 27 years after Hubert’s exit from the show in 1993.
Smith addressed the reconciliation during the event on Tuesday, revealing to the attendees,” “That is such a beautiful thing. Thank you all. You know, Janet and I — I’m assuming you all saw Janet and I a few months ago on the 30th anniversary of Fresh Prince, for the first time talked out the issues that we had had.”
“It was one of the most healing experiences of my life, and it was a big part of the place that working on this memoir got me into,” he continued. “I just wanna thank you, Janet, for being open. That’s a big part of the exploration that I wanted to do in this book.”
During a recent interview with PEOPLE, Hubert discussed how she felt after the emotional reconciliation she and Smith shared during the reunion special that aired November 2020. Hubert said she felt a sense of people after the costars were able to hash out their differences.
“If there are tree roots in the drain, the water doesn’t flow,” she said, adding: “The drain has been snaked.”
While Smith addressed the regrettable choices he made in his 20s that led to Janet’s departure from the show, Hubert’s career in Hollywood took a significant hit. “These days, Hubert is booked and busy — and, most importantly, at peace.”
“I don’t know if it’s a comeback,” she told PEOPLE. “I haven’t come from anywhere; I’ve been here. It’s just now … I always had to prove myself. I also had to walk in with a presupposition, and I don’t have to do that anymore, which is really lovely.”
