The Real Reason The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Ended
By Mia Tucker
According to Will Smith's memoir, the "King Richard" star reportedly decided to end things on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" after Season 6 because of a conversation he had with John Amos, who warned Smith about Hollywood's cruel ways of dealing with TV stars. Amos — who was fired from "Good Times" and killed off due to a contract dispute with the show's writers — used his own life as an example.
"None of these execs, or producers, or businesspeople, give a s*** about your family," Smith remembered Amos telling him, per Entertainment Weekly. "Do not let them f*** off all of your hard work and passion," Amos added. "It is your responsibility to make sure these people get to leave this show with some dignity." According to Smith, it was a conversation that ultimately led to a complete turning point in his life.
"As a fan, I felt insulted and abused by the ['Good Times'] narrative," Smith said. "John's character was unceremoniously killed off, and almost twenty years later, the man himself spoke the word that fit the hole in my heart." The very next week, Smith recalled gathering the "Fresh Prince" cast together and informing them that Season 6 would be their final season and that they should take the next year to make whatever plans or preparations they felt necessary. "I promised them that we would go out with style and grace," Smith remembered. To him, what happened to Amos and his character James Evans all those years ago on "Good Times" was something truly unforgivable, and he explained why in his 2021 memoir "Will."
