Former “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Janet Hubert is suing the American Federation of Television and Radio Acts (AFTRA) and their Health Fund, claiming that her insurer is refusing to cover her treatments for “intense spasms” and “strange chattering.”
According to Radar Online, the 58-year-old, who played Will Smith’s Aunt Viv on earlier seasons of the series, says she began suffering in 2004 and was treated by a chiropractor for “military neck,” a rare condition involving the loss of curvature in the spine. She says she also developed an intense case of vertigo which left her unable to operate a vehicle. The lawsuit lists Hubert’s surgery and treatment with a dry needle trigger point specialist to fix a strange “chatter” in her jaw as cause for intense pain, leaving the actress unable to work.
Hubert says HR sent her a letter in 2011 stating that they never meant to pay for any of the injections and her usage was “excessive in terms of frequency and duration.” HR said only four injections per year were “medically necessary,” however Hubert had received 42 since 2010. A remaining sixteen yearly treatments were granted, but the rest were to be paid out of pocket. Hubert has reportedly filed several appeals, stating that she “has been unable to afford continuous treatments” and as a result “has been unable to accept numerous jobs.” Hubert claims that without proper medical care for her ailments, she was forced to claim disability.