Jaleel White breaks silence on strained relationship with Will Smith

Jaleel White, best known for his role as Steve Urkel on Family Matters, has broken his silence on his strained relationship with Will Smith in his newly released memoir, Growing Up Urkel.

During an interview with US Weekly, White reflected on the distant connection with his former co-star as he opened up about his past interactions and missed opportunities.

In regards to this, White said, “What's weird is when you cross paths in our business, you never quite know how much or how little a moment meant to each other. And that can kind of play with your brain.”

Moreover, he revealed his admiration for Smith, despite the fallout as he admitted, “I just always want Will to know—and I’m not sure he ever did—how much I admired his forging ahead.”

According to Daily Mail, he recalled a key moment in the late 90s when he pitched a show idea to Smith after making a cameo appearance on the The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

In this regard, White wrote, “I should have called Will directly. The truth was, I wanted to work with Will badly. There were no more invites to his house or his movie sets, no more calls to say, ‘What’s up?’”

Additionally, while reflecting on the impact of industry pressures, White noted, “When I look back, there were so many people involved who made sure we didn’t speak directly anymore. It sucks for me, but writing about it became therapeutic," as per the publication. 

Furthermore, White rose to fame as a beloved sitcom star in the ‘90s, while Smith transitioned into global superstardom.

Despite their differences, White expressed his ongoing respect for Smith’s trajectory, as per the outlet.