Many had said that Janet Hubert-Whitten, who played the first Vivian, was dismissed from the show due to pregnancy, difficulties with Will Smith and producers of the show. Looking at the repeats of the third season, her final season of the show, she was pregnant and looked always angry on screen. I can tell she was not happy on the show especially towards the end of that season. During her first two seasons she was sharp and good as Vivian.

What is your take on this???

It was Will. when she got pregnant he started being rude and even went to NBC and had them reduce her salary and air time.

In a Jet Magazine article Smith was quoted in the Atlanta Journal as saying that Ms. Hubert-Whitten brought a lot of her problems to work and that the problems lasted well beyond her pregnancy. The paper quoted him as telling a local 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 ... She has basically gone from a quarter of a million dollars a year to nothing. She's mad now but she's been mad all along. She said once, |I've been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.' No matter what, to her I'm just the AntiChrist."

She says she never had an reason for being fired other than Will wanting her out. If she looked angry it was because of her feud with Smith. I agree she was the better Vivian.

The woman who played the 2nd Vivian was such a horrible actress.

It was Will. when she got pregnant he started being rude and even went to NBC and had them reduce her salary and air time.

In a Jet Magazine article Smith was quoted in the Atlanta Journal as saying that Ms. Hubert-Whitten brought a lot of her problems to work and that the problems lasted well beyond her pregnancy. The paper quoted him as telling a local 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 ... She has basically gone from a quarter of a million dollars a year to nothing. She's mad now but she's been mad all along. She said once, |I've been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.' No matter what, to her I'm just the AntiChrist."

She says she never had an reason for being fired other than Will wanting her out. If she looked angry it was because of her feud with Smith. I agree she was the better Vivian.


That's interesting. I always thought that it was because of her pregnancy which was the main reason she was fired. You know, I bet there are lots of actors who felt the same way she did. Meaning, alot of actors are in the business for years before they get their break, and then a child can basically come along and have their own show just like that and make more money. I bet that would be frustrating.

I wonder if the show would have been the same if she stayed? I wonder if she would have eventually left.

That's interesting. I always thought that it was because of her pregnancy which was the main reason she was fired. You know, I bet there are lots of actors who felt the same way she did. Meaning, alot of actors are in the business for years before they get their break, and then a child can basically come along and have their own show just like that and make more money. I bet that would be frustrating.

I wonder if the show would have been the same if she stayed? I wonder if she would have eventually left.I think it would have been better, because the last three season weren't that good.

The woman who played the 2nd Vivian was such a horrible actress.

I don't even understand why they hired her, she looks/acts absolutely nothing like the 1st Vivian and the least they could have done was hire someone who has dark black skin.

I didn't know she had a feud with Will Smith. That's interesting. I saw Janet on soap opera One Life To Live today. She's that black woman's mom who is dating that cop John.

but does anybody know why they reduce her salary?

I have heard that she didn't actully want to leave but was forced to. I heard that she was going to take time off in the fourth season because of her pregnantcy but will insisted that she work the whole season or she will be fired so she left. Will was interveiwed a couple of months ago on inside edition and he said with age you get maturity and he said that he made some big mistakes throughout his early career such as firing the first vivian and desiding the show should end but everyone makes mistakes and he would like to think he can make some too.

I have heard that she didn't actully want to leave but was forced to. I heard that she was going to take time off in the fourth season because of her pregnantcy but will insisted that she work the whole season or she will be fired so she left. Will was interveiwed a couple of months ago on inside edition and he said with age you get maturity and he said that he made some big mistakes throughout his early career such as firing the first vivian and desiding the show should end but everyone makes mistakes and he would like to think he can make some too.


But why was he saying it was a mistake? The show still continued to be funny after she left

But why was he saying it was a mistake? The show still continued to be funny after she leftI think he meant it was a mistake for the reasons it was done. it appears he had a swelled head and thought he could take over the show. I don't think he meant the quality of the show changed. I don't think it was as funny when the second Vivian was brought in, because Daphne Maxwell Reid is better at drama than she is comedy.

I think he meant it was a mistake for the reasons it was done. it appears he had a swelled head and thought he could take over the show. I don't think he meant the quality of the show changed. I don't think it was as funny when the second Vivian was brought in, because Daphne Maxwell Reid is better at drama than she is comedy.


Yeah but you really can't compare the two vivians because the second one wasn't used much. So that's why the show seemed funnier because Carlton, Will, and Geoffery was used more.

What did Will mean when he said "The Aunt Viv of Bel-Air Show"?

Wow! I didn't know all that! See, this is why they need an E! True Hollywood story!
I do think the first Vivian was the better one though. And now that you mention it, Vivian did look angrier toward the third season's end.