Tatyana Ali has been in your life longer than most apps on your phone. She was barely out of toddler shoes when she popped up on Sesame Street, then became Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996. If you grew up watching that show, you watched her grow up too.
Now 46, Ali still moves with that same ease, only with more life lived. Recently, she marked Spirit Day with GLAAD, posting a selfie in a lavender suit, necklace, hair pulled back. The gray strands stayed. When a fan wrote that she “looked very presidential in this pic,” Ali replied, “definitely look like I’m running for office.”
After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wrapped, she finished high school, earned a degree from Harvard, and kept working. You don’t hear that part enough. She didn’t vanish.
She did open up this year about a tougher chapter while filming the 1999 cult favorite Jawbreaker. Ali was still in high school at the time and dealt with bullying from another actress on set. She shared the story online, writing, “I was the only one actually in high school when we shot this, and I dealt with a little bullying on set from one actress in particular… and @rosemcgowan told her to [shut up] in front of everybody! I will always love her for that!” McGowan backed her up in the comments with, “❤️ I’d do it again ❤️.”
In March, Ali reunited with Will Smith thanks to a viral dance trend set to Doechii’s “Anxiety.” The scene mirrored The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air pilot, Walkman included, with Doechii sliding into the moment. Nostalgia without trying too hard.
Motherhood shifted everything for Tatyana Ali. She shares sons Edward Aszard Rasberry, 9, and Alejandro Vaughn Rasberry, 7, with her husband, Dr. Vaughn Rasberry. After a traumatic first birth and time in the NICU, she found community through Black Mamas Matter Alliance and comfort in sewing. That led to Baby Yams. She told First For Women, “My son ended up in the NICU for four days because of what happened in the hospital.” Last year, she launched the brand with 50 handmade blankets using fabric sourced from Ghana. They sold out in April. She donated every cent to help train midwives and doulas.
Ali says being a mom “ordered my steps.” You can see it.
RELATED: Bailee Madison Looks Beautiful 15 Years After Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark Made Her a Star
