For years, fans of the beloved ’90s sitcom Family Matters have wondered about the fate of Jaimee Foxworth, the actress who portrayed Judy Winslow, the youngest member of the Winslow family. After four seasons, she was suddenly written off the show, and the question remains: what happened? Darius McCrary, who played her older brother, Eddie Winslow, recently shared some insight into the behind-the-scenes drama that may have influenced Foxworth’s exit.
Darius McCrary claims family matters behind the scenes played a role in Jaimee Foxworth’s abrupt exit.
According to McCrary, there were family dynamics at play that potentially affected her success on the show.
“It’s a trip, man, how none of us could do anything to save her,” McCrary said in an interview with The Art of Dialogue released April 7. He went on to claim during the episode, “And part of the reason was because of her mother. And I’m not saying this to attack her mom in any way or be negative,” he clarified.
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While he offered praise for Foxworth’s mother, Gwyn Foxx, who managed her career, McCrary made a comparison to how his own mother advocated for him behind the scenes and while on set.
“You just got to be smart about it. Like I said, my mama was smart about how she moved, and she got it. My mama got everything she wanted,” McCrary explained.
The Hollywood star also credited his mother for the rise of actor Shawn Harrison, who played Eddie’s lovable but clueless friend Waldo Faldo on Family Matters.
“Part of the reason why they had Waldo on the show is because my mom had low-key kind of got at the producers about Eddie Winslow not being dumb,” McCrary shared. “So they brought in Waldo.” He continued, “They were able to write certain jokes for Shawn where he carried that burden ‘cause my mom didn’t want [me] to portray a young, dumb Black [kid], because she knew that was going to resonate with an audience.”
Reflecting on Foxworth’s departure, Darius McCrary, now 49, noted that he didn’t think her mother had the “same” level of drive when it came to negotiating for her daughter.
He added, “Let’s just say this, man, there’s a lot that comes with being a child star. Most of them don’t make it. Look, we’re sitting here talking to you. My career has spanned 40 years. Man, do you know how blessed I am and I feel to be able to say that? Now, I will take credit for showing up and doing the work and having the perseverance and the dog in me, no matter what, to continue going, but it’s also by design. And I have to give credit to my family for being the support system and that constant motivating force.”
Family Matters which aired from 1989 to 1997, followed the Winslow family from Chicago, which originally consisted of patriarch Carl (Reginald VelJohnson); his wife Harriette (Jo Marie Payton); their children Eddie (Darius McCrary), Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams), and Judy (Jaimee Foxworth); and Grandma Estelle, known as “Momma Winslow” (Rosetta LeNoire).
By the middle of the first season, viewers were introduced to the iconic Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), the nerdy, high-pants-wearing character who became an essential part of the Winslow family dynamic. As Urkel’s character began to gain popularity, producers decided to focus more on him, along with the addition of Harriette’s nephew, Richie, and his mother, Rachel Crawford (Thelma Hopkins). Despite the shift, it wasn’t long before Judy Winslow, who had been an integral part of the family, was abruptly sent to her room and never seen again.
Jaimee Foxworth says this is why she was given the boot from Family Matters.
This curious disappearance of Judy became a pop culture reference, and fans were left wondering what happened. In 2017, when the Family Matters cast reunited for a cover story and photoshoot with Entertainment Weekly, Foxworth was again notably absent.
During an interview with the Root that year, she offered her own perspective on the situation.
Foxworth, now 46, believes that the rise of Urkel’s popularity played a major role in her character’s diminishing presence on the show.
“The producers felt that they could do it and no one would notice. They’d done it with previous shows they had. They figured no one would really care. My fans took notice of it,” Foxworth said. “They figured they could just throw me away, no explanation at all. Some of my cast members knew before I did.”
Despite co-star Jo Marie Payton fighting for her to stay, the producers ultimately decided to write her off the show.
“It affected my self-esteem as an actress. And I started feeling like I wasn’t good at my job,” Foxworth admitted.
After Family Matters, Foxworth’s acting career stagnated. She briefly joined a hip-hop girl group called S.H.E., alongside her sisters Tyren Perry and Jania Perry, but when that venture flopped, she turned to adult films in the early 2000s, adopting the stage name “Crave.”
At the time, Foxworth said she believed her exclusion from the Entertainment Weekly reunion shoot was largely due to her past in the adult film industry.
“The people in the picture are more important than the picture itself. It was a slap in the face from Entertainment Weekly. I don’t think there’s any good explanation. If they want to use adult films as the reason, I’m not the first person to do adult films and won’t be the last,” Foxworth explained, adding, “By being included, it could have started a conversation about how certain people in a family don’t always do what everyone agrees with. Sure, I did adult films, but the only people that are going to be shocked about it are kids. It’s not shocking. I did not kill anyone. I didn’t murder anyone. The only pain I inflicted on anyone was myself.”
Now, as a mother to a 16-year-old son, Foxworth has used her platform to host a podcast called The S.H.E. Show, which ran between 2020 and 2022 with her sisters. The podcast covered topics ranging from life, love, and motherhood to the entertainment industry. She also has an OnlyFans account, according to her Instagram page.
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