Will Smith sparked endless debates and chatter in the industry after his 2022 Oscars slapgate. The thing is, that was not the first time Smith clashed with someone. The Oscar-winning actor, despite his reputation as one of Hollywood's good guys, has a history of beefs in Hollywood. His feuds' record goes way back to the 90s, when a fresh-faced Will Smith was just getting his feet wet in the entertainment world. One of his earliest beefs was with none other than Jaleel White, who guest-starred on Will Smith’s breakout show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. 

Jaleel White, recently, broke his silence about their falling-out and shared his perspective on what really went down in the '90s. 

Jaleel White recently dropped his new memoir, Growing Up Urkel. In the book, White dove into a professional disagreement he had with Will Smith back in the late 1990s. He recalled how he once had the chance to pitch a show to Smith after the rapper-turned-actor landed an overall production deal with Universal. However, due to several external factors and miscommunications, the collaboration never took off. “I should have called Will directly,” White confessed in his memoir, reflecting on what could have been. 

As time passed and White kept putting off clearing the air, Smith’s star power shot through the roof. White admitted, opening up about his inner struggle, "Will was becoming such a big star, so fast, that I didn’t have the nerve to call his phone myself". The fallout between the two reportedly began after White guest-starred as Derek in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the era in which Smith stepped back into this year. White shared more about the fallout in a recent interview, while promoting his memoir.

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Alongside sharing his regrets, White also offered a heartfelt message to the Men in Black icon. 

In an exclusive chat with Us Weekly about his memoir, Jaleel White got candid about how tough it can be to figure out relationships in the industry. And because of this misunderstanding, he ended up damaging his friendship with Will Smith. Even with the rift, White shared that there is one thing he wishes Smith knew- though he is not sure the King Richard star ever realized it. “I just always want Will to know…how much I admired his forging ahead," White said. 

White went on to explain that he foresaw Smith's rise as a superstar before anyone else did. Back at the NBA All-Star Stay in School Jam, White recalled thinking, “This dude’s freaking energy is huge in the room”. It seems safe to say that through his memoir, Jaleel White has opened the door for some long-overdue healing after years of beefing with Will Smith. 

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What do you think about Jaleel White's confession? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!