Will Smith has never been shy about sharing details from his life, but he's gone above and beyond over the past several months. He's shared a number of surprising revelations, many of which come from his newly released memoir, Will. Devoted and casual fans have been clamoring to learn more about the Hollywood star, but not everyone is chomping at the bit to read every juicy tidbit from Smith’s life. One of those hesitant parties is his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star, Alfonso Ribeiro. The America’s Funniest Home Videos host recently spoke on why he’s unsure if he’ll read the book.
Having worked with and been friends with Will Smith for decades, the Fresh Prince alum has witnessed and shared in multiple events and moments from the King Richard star’s life. The Carlton Banks actor, of course, knew a lot about Smith and his family before the public at large found out. And it seems that closeness might deter the fan-favorite actor from cracking open his former co-star’s book. The TV personality took the chance to express his views while talking to Extra, saying:
For many, many, many years, people speculated about them as a family. They’re laying it out there in a way that is their truth. I don’t know if I’ll read the book because I know the people.
Knowing someone personally would keep anyone from wanting to read their words and thoughts. In the the case for Alfonso Ribeiro, he’s surely lived some of the many stories that his old friend spoke discussed in his book. So there’s no reason for him to grab some hot tea, sit in a comfy chair and crack open the memoir for himself.
But as mentioned, he isn’t the only one that not interested in learning more about Will Smith and his family. Some fans (and haters) decided to start an online petition to stop the media from interviewing Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Currently, the petition has over 22,000 signatures. The signers believe the couple have been over-sharing about their lives in recent years. The pushback seems to be the combination of the media blitz surrounding Smith's King Richard, his new book and Pinkett Smith’s recent Red Table Talk episodes.
Whether you're enjoying it or not, most would agree that the beloved actor has gotten very personal. The Gemini Man star gave key anecdotes about his life, like his relationship with his wife, a $10,000 loan he got from a drug dealer and a call from his late father about Independence Day’s opening numbers. Given the varied nature of the stories, it's probably not too surprising that some of the details didn’t sit well with certain fans.
It'll be interesting to see if Alfonso Ribeiro ever does end up cracking open the heavily-discussed book. But regardless of whether he does or doesn't it's likely that it won't impact his years-long friendship with the man once known as the Fresh Prince.
