Janet Hubert Gets Standing Ovation at Will Smith Event as He Talks Their ‘Healing’ Reconciliation [Photos + Video]

Last fall Janet Hubert, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s original Aunt Viv sat down with former costar Will Smith to hash out the years-long feud that brewed between the two following Hubert’s departure from the 1990s sitcom.

via: People

During the “Will Smith: An Evening of Stories with Friends” event hosted at Kings Theatre in New York City’s Brooklyn, Smith recalled memorable life lessons while discussing his new memoir, Will. At one point in the evening, the actor pointed out two of his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costars in attendance: Karyn Parson, who played Hilary, and Hubert, who was the “original Aunt Viv,” as Smith referred to her.

Hubert, 65, got a standing ovation from the excited crowd, waving and whistling to the cheering fans.

“Stand up, Janet. Get your flowers!” Smith said. “Take it in! Take that in!”

The touching moment comes one year after the Fresh Prince HBO Max reunion special, in which Hubert and Smith sat down for the first time in 27 years to sort out the issues that led to a contentious back-and-forth in the media following Hubert’s exit from the sitcom in 1993.

Smith addressed the reconciliation during the event Tuesday, telling 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.”

Hubert recently reflected on reconciling with Smith, telling PEOPLE that while the two were close to tears on the TV reunion special that aired in November 2020, she has felt a sense of peace since they talked out their differences.

“If there are tree roots in the drain, the water doesn’t flow,” she said, adding: “The drain has been snaked.”

Smith previously said that he felt “threatened” — not only by Hubert, but by the world, in his 20s — prior to her departure. But by painting the actress as problematic after the third season (her last), Hubert’s career took a notable 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.”

Enjoy clips from the event in Brooklyn below.