While Will Smith Had His Fresh Prince Feuds, Sitcom Vet Tatyana Ali Says Karyn Parsons Is Still Like Her Big Sister Years Later

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fans have enjoyed the loving, on-screen bond among the Banks family for two decades now. While some of those personal connections were highlighted more prominently than others, the one between Hilary and Ashley Banks felt particularly authentic, despite the characters being polar opposites. That sisterly bond seems to have seeped into real life as well, as actresses Tatyana Ali and Karyn Parsons apparently shared the same kind of relationship off camera. We’ve since learned that Will Smith had his on-set feuds but, on the flip side of that, Ali spoke about why Parsons has still like her big sister even in the years since the sitcom ended.

It’s hard to believe that the two actresses haven’t actually acting alongside each other since 1996, which is when the Fresh Prince finale. Yet the connection is still strong and came into play as Tatyana Ali competed on VH1’s RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race as Chakra 7. During the competition, Karyn Parsons rooted her TV little sister on by sending a sweet video message. After competing on the show, Ali spoke with People about how supportive she and her co-star of each other’s projects:

It’s so sweet that they’ve managed to keep their sisterly relationship going in the years since Fresh Prince ended. That kind of connection is refreshing, given that there can be tension and fractured relationships among some sitcom co-stars, who typically don’t open up about said strife until years later. Given how young Tatyana Ali was when the classic sitcom premiered in 1990, it’s understandable that she would’ve gravitated towards Karyn Parsons as a sister-like figure at the time. Clearly, she still appreciates her support today.