Although Will Smith, who played the main character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has yet to comment publicly on the devastating news, his wife Jada Pinkett Smith paid tribute to the actor on her Facebook page. She wrote: ''Happy New Year everyone! I was hoping to start the new year differently but we have lost yet another friend. James Avery who we all lovingly know as Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince has passed. Our condolences to aunt Florence (his mother), Miss Barbara (his wife) and all those who loved him. Rest in peace James.'' James leaves behind wife Barbara, who is said to have been visiting her husband at the hospital in Glendale when he died, but she had left the room for a short period only to return later to find out he had passed away. Tatyana Ali, who played James' daughter Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince, also paid tribute to the late star for being her ''protector.'' She wrote on Twitter: ''James was my teacher my protector & the most magnificent actor. We're feeling his loss very deeply. He'll always be apart of me #JamesAvery."