Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast now -'open marriage' denial, divorce drama and tragedy

Published date12 June 2021
Date12 June 2021
Publication titleDaily Star: Web Edition Articles (England)
Will Smith rocketed to stardom as a fictionalised version of himself alongside supporting cast members James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Janet Hubert, Karyn Parsons and others.

Smith was already a successful rapper nicknamed The Fresh Prince.

He'd made millions as a charting musician but squandered his quickly-earned wealth and needed the sitcom to avoid bankruptcy.

Since the show first aired, the beloved actor and member of Hollywood royalty hasn't had to worry too much about failure.

But away from the TV cameras and silver screen life for Will and his Fresh Prince co-stars hasn't been quite so straightforward.

Here, we take a closer look at what Fresh Prince's best-loved stars got up to next...

Will Smith

Will Smith agreed to star in Fresh Prince in order to avoid financial disaster, but even he would admit the show's success was far beyond imagination.

By the end of its run, he had secured executive producer status on the show plus starring roles in Bad Boys, Independence Day, Men in Black and more.

A devoted family man who became a role model for millions of fans, Smith's brief marriage to Sheree Zampino from 1992 to 1995 was followed by the creation of a genuine Hollywood power marriage.

Smith started dating actress and writer Jada Pinkett shortly after his divorce. They were married on New Years Eve 1997 and had son Jaden in 1998 and Willow in 2000.

Both children have successful music careers, with Jaden working more recently on screen.

Pinkett is stepmother to Trey Smith, a 28-year-old son Will and Sheree had. Trey was taught to drive by Fresh Prince co-star Alfonso Ribeiro.

But despite appearances, cracks in the Smiths' marriage first appeared when Jada hinted at an open marriage in 2013, before rolling back her comments.

Then in July 2020 a dramatic appearance on Facebook show Red Table Talk included Jada's revelation that she had an affair with rapper August Alsina.

Alsina had said in 2016 he had a brief fling with Jada with Will's permission, though this was denied as "absolutely not true" at the time.

On Red Table Talk, Jada admitted there had been an "entanglement" which took place without the permission of her husband.

Will and Jada were apparently separated at the time but have since got back together.

James Avery

Uncle Phil actor James Avery tragically died after heart surgery in December 2013.

He had a successful acting career after his star turn on Fresh Prince, in which he played Will's grumpy but lovable father figure.

Having made 15 film...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT