Over the weekend, Jo Marie Payton, Reginald VelJohnson, and Kellie Williams gathered at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida to share fond memories of their cherished “Family Matters” television series. Notably, Jaleel White, known for his portrayal of Steve Urkel, was conspicuously missing from the panel.
During their discussion, the cast expressed their appreciation for White, setting aside any previous public disagreements and speaking warmly of him.
“Hate is not a part of anything you do. I will always love him,” Payton said.
She added, “Yes, sometimes you bump heads and things. But I’ll always love him. He was always a child to me, and I don’t care how old he is, he’s still a child to me…to me, no matter how old he gets, he’ll still be a baby. And I forgive everything because I have that kind of heart to get past stuff.”
VelJohnson chimed in, stating, “He had a lot to deal with, because we were already established as a family but he had to get into the group and introduce himself. We love him. We’re sorry he’s not here, but he’s a special person.”
In a 2021 interview, White previously stated that he was “not very well welcomed to the cast.”
“I didn’t see how I was stepping on anybody’s toes, I wasn’t taking anybody’s shine,” he said.
A year later, Payton alleged that during the filming, White tried to engage in a physical “fight” with her. However, while reflecting on White’s alleged on-set behavior, she characterized him as simply being “just a kid” at the time.
“I give some of those adults credit too,” she said. “Letting him run wild and do whatever he wanted to do, thinking he can say what he wants to say, you know, and hurt people’s feelings and all that.”
