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Tag: Tatyana Ali

  • Tatyana Ali Reunites With ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ Co-Star Will Smith at BET Event

    Tatyana Ali was reunited over the weekend with her Fresh Prince of Bel Air co-star Will Smith.

    Tatyana Ali and Will Smith were attending the 2015 Black Girls Rock event Saturday when the sweet reunion took place.

    Will Smith, 46, was at the show in Newark, New Jersey, to present an award to his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, when he bumped into his Tatyana Ali backstage.

    The two starred on the popular sitcom from 1990 to 1996, on which Tatyana Ali, 36, played Smith’s cousin Ashley Banks.

    The actress, wearing a GEMY MAALOUF jumpsuit, shared a selfie of the quick reunion on Instagram, writing “Backstage @blackgirlsrock @mbib #imagineafuture #nofilter #fam #tatyanaali #willsmith #FRESHPRINCE.”

    This isn’t the first time the duo have reunited. Tatyana joined fellow Fresh Prince star and Dancing With the Stars champion Alfonso Ribeiro at the premiere of Will Smith’s 2008 film Seven Pounds.

    Backstage @blackgirlsrock @mbib #imagineafuture #nofilter #fam #tatyanaali #willsmith #FRESHPRINCE

    A photo posted by Tatyana Ali (@tatyanaali) on

    As for the award presentation, Will Smith offered an adorable tribute to his wife of 18 years at the BET event, and presented her with the Star Power award.

    Much media attention was subsequently given to the PDA Will Smith offered his wife along with the award with a kiss and pat on her behind.

    Black Girls Rock is a non-profit organization with a mission of empowering young black women and exploring the media’s impact on them.

    Also at the event were the couple’s 14-year-old daughter, Willow, and Jada’s mother, Adrienne Canfield-Jones.

  • Tatyana Ali Profoundly Impacted by James Avery

    Tatyana Ali reflected about the death of her Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costar James Avery, who passed away on December 31st at the age of 68. Tatyana was just a little girl when she first appeared on the hit TV show back in 1990 along with Avery, but she remembers the impact his presence had on her to this very day.

    Ali played the role of Ashley Banks on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air–the youngest of Philip Banks’ children. James Avery played Philip Banks. This no doubt added to the impact of Avery’s death on Ali. Avery was–at least for a good portion of her life–a father figure to her.

    Tatyana Ali expressed her grief and her overwhelming appreciation for James Avery and the vital role he once played in her life via two Twitter messages. Her expressions likely served as a means of processing the sudden and unexpected loss.

    James Avery is survived by his wife, Barbara, as well as by his mother and a stepson. In addition he is survived by the young people who starred alongside him on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Tatyana Ali is just one of those young people–Will Smith is another–mourning the actor’s untimely passing, but also profoundly impacted by his influence on her life.

    Image via Facebook

  • Tatyana Ali and ‘Fresh Prince’ Co-Stars React To Death of James Avery

    To fans around the world, he was simply ‘Uncle Phil’ from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

    But for Tatyana Ali, and the rest of the Fresh Prince cast, he was so much more. His shocking death on New Year’s Eve took the world by surprise, and now the cast mourns the loss.

    Actress-singer Tatyana Ali recently took to Twitter to share her feelings of Avery, offering her condolences.

    Ali, who was a child actress on the show played the role of Ashley Banks, the youngest daughter of Philip Banks portrayed by Avery.

    As the ‘baby of the cast’, Ali was only 11 years old when the Fresh Prince aired in 1990.

    Although most are familiar with the ‘daddy’s little girl’ camaraderie they shared on camera, the actress shed light on their relationship off camera.

    In a series of tweets, the 34-year-old actress shared a heartfelt message about Avery and his impact on her life over the years. Ali’s tweet ended with the hashtag #JamesAvery, which became a massive trending topic in light of Avery’s death.

    Ali also included pictures of candid moments that cast shared on the set of the Fresh Prince. She also tweeted an excerpt from a poem by notable writer-activist Nikki Giovanni.

    However, she wasn’t the only one to weigh in. Twitter has actually been buzzing since the news of Avery’s death, and the majority of the cast has also taken moments to weigh in on the loss, and how it has effected them. Alfonso Ribeiro, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Tyra Banks have all tweeted their sentiments.

    Ribeiro actually was the first to confirm the news via Twitter.

    Jazzy Jeff and Banks’ tweets came shortly after.

    Will Smith also shared his condolences via Facebook, including a picture of the last time the cast spent together. Smith’s message said, “Some of my greatest lessons in Acting, Living and being a respectable human being came through James Avery. Every young man needs an Uncle
    Phil. Rest in Peace. This photo was the last time we were together.”

    (image)

    Avery is survived by his wife, Barbara Avery, his mother, and stepson.

    Image via Twitter | Tatyana Ali  Wikimedia Commons | James Avery