Bill Cosby’s early release from prison sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood and the rest of the country, and while the myriad responses on social media have largely been opposed to the way things played out in court, The Cosby Show patriarch’s former co-star Phylicia Rashad excitedly voiced her support for his release. But that opinion wasn’t shared at all by another famed sitcom mom, as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Original Aunt Viv actress Janet Hubert had some blunt thoughts about Rashad’s public reaction.
For background, The Cosby Show vet and current This Is Us star Phylicia Rashad took to Twitter to voice her support for her former television husband upon hearing the news of Bill Cosby’s prison release. Here’s how she initially expressed her thoughts on the whole ordeal: FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!
Decades after the classic sitcom ended, Bill Cosby obviously still holds a special place in Phylicia Rashad’s heart despite the shift in public opinion on Cosby’s legacy, which became more widespread after comedian Hannibal Burress used his act to reflect on sexual assault allegations being an ignored known in the entertainment industry. On several occasions, Rashad has spoken out against the embattled star’s critics, so she may very well have some kind of retaliatory response for Fresh Prince alum Janet Hubert as well. (To be sure, Rashad did post a follow-up tweet professing her solidarity with assault victims.)
Upon seeing Phylicia Rashad’s Twitter post, original Aunt Viv Janet Hubert took clear issue with Rashad’s supportive message and decided to reprimand The Cosby Show alum on Twitter. With her candid post, Hubert also shared the aforementioned notion that stories of Bill Cosby’s sexual misconduct were a well-known secret in Hollywood. Here’s how she put it:
The Fresh Prince star wasn’t done with Rashad, either. After her first tweet, Janet Hubert followed up with some allegations of her own in a second message, saying:
I would have said he’s old he’s out and I’m happy for him, but he still …guilty. I know 5 women who have not come forward. Enough Ya’ll we know better. Powerful men do wrong things, black or white…
Janet Hubert’s take on Bill Cosby’s release gave some insight into Hollywood’s power struggle, and she attempted to make Rashad aware of the other side of the public discourse surrounding Cosby’s release. While she spoke bluntly, Hubert’s message to Rashad wasn’t the kind of vicious attack that others were quick to fall back on, to the point where she even warned Rashad of suck attacks.
These posts about Bill Cosby’s prison release definitely isn’t the first time Janet Hubert has been outspoken about problematic circumstances in Hollywood. The OG Aunt Viv went back and forth with former Fresh Prince co-star Will Smith for years over her departure from the sitcom. The two co-stars had a strained relationship dating back to the second season, but Hubert and Smith finally made up after three decades as part of last year’s Fresh Prince reunion special.
