Shattered Illusions: Why Did No One From the Good Times Cast Attend Ja’net DuBois’ Funeral?

On February 17, 2020, Hollywood was hit with some deeply sad news. The talented actress, singer and writer Ja’net DuBois , who brought laughter and tears to millions of viewers with her role as Willona Woods on the legendary sitcom Good Times , took her last breath at her home in California. Her passing left a void that could never be filled, but what stunned the public more than the sadness was her absence.

Everyone thought that the Good Times “family” would gather to see their beloved neighbor off in his final moments. But they didn’t come. They were completely absent, eerily silent.

Why did the cast, once as close as family on screen, disappear completely? Was it behind-the-scenes feuds, contract disputes, or a bitter split that caused this TV “family” to turn their backs on Ja’net DuBois in her most tragic moment? The truth that is about to be revealed is not only heartbreaking, but also exposes the decades-long disintegration of one of America’s most iconic series.

Ja’net DuBois: The Unquenchable Fire

Born in Brooklyn, New York in the 1930s, Ja’net DuBois’s life was a constant struggle to prove her worth in a society rife with injustice and prejudice. With that tenacity, she moved from Broadway to television, becoming one of the few black actresses to appear in major shows in the late 1960s.

DuBois’s legacy extends beyond acting; she also co-wrote and performed the theme song ” Moving on Up ” for the film The Jeffersons , a song that became a manifesto of progress for African Americans in the 1970s and still lives on today.

However, the role that defined her career was Willona Woods in Good Times (1974). While many female characters of the time were confined to the role of mother or wife, DuBois’s Willona broke the mold: bold, modern, and captivating. Willona was more than just a sitcom character; she was a new pop culture icon of the independent black woman, unafraid to love and live for herself.

Her most special relationship on screen was with Janet Jackson (Penny). On screen, Willona adopted the abandoned Penny, and off screen, DuBois became a mother figure , guiding Janet through the harsh world of show business. Janet Jackson later emotionally admitted: “She was like a second mother to me, the one who taught me to break all prejudices and believe in myself.” This relationship is a rare example of how, sometimes, on-screen affection is real.

Behind the Scenes of Good Times : Broken Family

Good Times was billed as a landmark, the first sitcom about a black family on television, representing African-American life. But that was only what viewers saw. Behind the laughter, the atmosphere on set was completely different: bitter arguments, sudden departures, and even lawsuits. The so-called “TV family” of Good Times fractured early on, creating wounds that lasted for decades.

The First Crack: The Discarded Father

John Amos (James Evans) is the backbone and moral compass of the Evans family. His portrayal of a responsible, loving black father amidst the hardships of the 1970s has become iconic. However, John Amos has publicly expressed concern that the script is losing its integrity, reducing black lives to cheap jokes instead of reflecting painful social realities.

Amos was not a tactful man; he was blunt, so blunt that it made people uncomfortable. The situation escalated, and CBS and the production team made an unexpected move: they killed off James Evans in season 4. Viewers were shocked to learn that James died in a car accident, without a farewell scene on screen.

Amos left the show in a bitter mood. He chose to stand by his principles rather than bow to scripts he felt demeaned the black community. Good Times lost its father, the spirit of the family, and from that moment on, the behind-the-scenes cast fell apart.

The Second Crack: The Struggle Mother

If John Amos is the backbone, Esther Rolle (as Florida Evans) is the heart. She embodies the strong woman of color, supporting her family while maintaining dignity in the midst of poverty. But like Amos, Rolle is not afraid to confront the producers when the script goes astray. She believes that Good Times should reflect social issues such as poverty and injustice.

However, the show’s attention increasingly focused on JJ Evans (played by Jimmy Walker), the mischievous son with the famous catchphrase “Dyn-o-mite!” Audiences laughed, ratings soared, but Esther Rolle was not pleased. She bluntly declared: “I don’t want a stupid, uneducated black boy just to be funny, that demeans our community .”

Tensions reached a boiling point after John Amos was fired, and Rolle was the last one standing. In 1977, she made the shocking decision to leave Good Times at the height of its popularity. The show was in crisis. Ratings plummeted, losing millions of viewers. CBS was forced to give in. In 1978, Esther Rolle returned, but as “queen,” demanding improved scripts, more maturity from JJ, and, of course, a raise. Rolle’s departure and return exposed a stark truth: the Good Times family could only survive when ratings were near collapse.

The Third Crack: Star Rating and the Wall of Silence

Jimmy Walker (JJ Evans) was the show’s breakout star. But stardom was a double-edged sword. As the writers began to build the show around JJ, other characters—who were supposed to represent the resilience of a black family—were pushed to the sidelines.

Jimmy Walker lived in a paradox: on screen they were family, but off screen, he was not close to his co-stars. Walker later revealed a cold truth: ” During all those years on Good Times , Esther Rolle and I hardly spoke. The same with John Amos. There was no arguing, no yelling, just silence .” When the cameras were rolling, they were a loving family; when they were off, they retreated to their own corners, strangers again. JJ became a symbol of division.

Amidst this chaos, Ja’net DuBois’s Willona Woods found herself in an awkward position. On screen, she was a friendly neighbor, but off screen, DuBois’s growing fame made her a sensitive figure in the warring cast. DuBois never publicly complained, but an unspoken estrangement was brewing.

The Last Moment: Cold Absence

When Good Times ended in 1979, many fans hoped that the rift would fade. But the opposite was true. The cast rarely reunited, and reunions were almost non-existent. Each went their separate ways, as if the Evans family had never existed offscreen. John Amos spoke bitterly of Good Times , calling it a career blemish . Esther Rolle died in 1998, and there was no reunion.

The coldness culminated in Jimmy Walker’s statement : “Esther and I never talked much. The same with John Amos. We weren’t family. We were colleagues .” A short sentence that tore apart the beautiful illusion that audiences had held for decades.

And then, tragedy struck. On February 17, 2020, Ja’net DuBois passed away quietly. She passed away in her sleep from cardiac arrest due to complications from high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. When the funeral took place, fans waited. They waited for John Amos, Jimmy Walker, Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma).

But no one came. The funeral was silent. There was no reunion , no final hug from the Evans family to say goodbye to Willona. This cold absence hung heavy in the air, turning the event into not just a funeral, but also a final confirmation of an irreparable break.

Public opinion exploded. On social media, questions abounded: “Why didn’t the Good Times cast attend her funeral? How could they call her their family on screen but then not show up?”

Only Janet Jackson , her spiritual daughter, posted a heartfelt tribute, publicly demonstrating their real-life bond.

Ja’net DuBois left behind a legacy that went far beyond money (her net worth is estimated at $2 million). She was an icon of strong black womanhood, the voice of The Jeffersons , and a mother who knew both the joy and pain of losing a child (her son Raj Kristo died of cancer in 1987).

Yet that legacy was ultimately tainted by a cold silence. The absence of the Good Times cast at Ja’net DuBois’s funeral was not just a personal tragedy, but a public warning: The family you see on screen is an illusion. Behind the scenes is always a battlefield, and after all, the cracks of the past, no matter how long buried, are deep enough to separate them until the final goodbye.