Will Smith compliments 'Aunt Viv' actress Janet Hubert despite verbal onslaught

Smith and wife Jada were on the receiving end of Hubert's rant last month

Will Smith (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

Will Smith has nobly avoided responding to Janet Hubert’s onslaught against him and wife Jada by complimenting her profusely.

Hubert played the first ‘Aunt Viv’ in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air alongside Smith from 1990 until she was replaced by Daphne Reid in 1993.

Last month, following Jada Pinkett Smith’s video announcement that she would be boycotting the Oscars over the lack of diversity in the 2016 nominations, Hubert recorded her own video message.

The video, which has since been deleted from the actresses’ Facebook page ridiculed Pinkett Smith, saying: “Some of us got bigger s*** to worry about than the Oscars.”

She also took aim at her former co-star Smith, saying: “Does your man not have a mouth of his own with which to speak?” as well as suggesting he “didn’t deserve a nomination” at the Academy Awards.

However, Smith seems to have taken this all in his stride as when appearing on BBC Radio 1 Extra labelled her “brilliant”.

Asked by presenter A.Dot which Aunt Viv was better, the 47-year-old tactfully replied: “I think both of the Aunt Vivs were really, really fantastic. I think when you make a show, anytime you make a change it’s going to be excruciating and painful.”

He went further, complimenting the “really powerful dignity” Hubert brought to the show.

“I think she’s brilliant… as an artist there’s so many things she does. She sings, she dances, she’s like a really powerful artist. I loved what she brought to the Fresh Prince.”