What happened to Jackie Ames from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Portrayed by Tyra Banks, the West Philadelphia native plays a prominent role in the first half of season 4, but then disappears for the remainder of the series. Here's why Jackie exited The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rather abruptly.

Now streaming on HBO Max, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air originally aired for six seasons on NBC between 1990 and 1996. By season 4, the title character (Will Smith) has settled into a new life in Los Angeles and moves into an apartment with cousin Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) while attending UCLA. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 4 premiere, Carlton informs Will that he met "Five feet, eleven inches of feminine fire power," a woman who is ultimately revealed to be Will's friend and former girlfriend from Philly, Jackie. She slaps Will for not calling before leaving, but the two later become friends while working together at The Peacock Stop, a campus store. From there, Jackie and Will flirt during the subsequent episodes, but nothing ever materializes.

Related: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: How Old Will Smith Is At The Beginning & End

In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 4, Banks makes her eighth and final appearance as Jackie in the 12th episode, "You've Got to Be a Football Hero," in which her character is revealed to be dating Hank Farley (Cylk Cozart). At a party, Will attempts to entertain Jackie while being repeatedly challenged by her new boyfriend, a college football player. The narrative conflict revolves around Will's drunken behavior and the consequences of poor decision-making: Carlton drives Jackie home, and Will later admits that he essentially lost everything - a friend, self respect, and even his dinner. And so Banks didn't quite disappear from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air but had rather completed her character arc.

Will Smith and Tyra Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 4

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marked Banks' acting debut. In 1995, she appeared in her first film, John Singleton's college drama Higher Learning, but her main focus at the time was modeling. Meanwhile, Smith's TV career was anything but secure, as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 4 was written with the understanding that it could be cancelled. So Banks' exit sets up what was designed to be the series' last group of episodes. NBC later ordered The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 5 and 6, but Smith ultimately chose to walk away when the network didn't greenlight a seventh installment. He then became a massive movie star, and Banks became the first Black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue before co-creating the groundbreaking series America's Next Top Model.

In April 2020, Smith and Banks used Instagram to recreate an argument scene from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air season 4 episode "All Guts, No Glory." Banks recites her lines verbatim and reminds Smith that not only was she just 19 during production, but also that it was her first ever acting job. A family member then interrupts the Jackie recreation moment, a comedic exclamation point to the nostalgic reunion.

More: Why Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Recast Aunt Vivian After Season 3