Photo: Brent Perniac/AdMedia/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live NewsFresh Prince of Bel-AircostarsTatyana AliandKaryn Parsonsare as close as ever.The former costars' friendship goes all the way back to their days playing Banks sisters Ashley and Hilary starting in 1990. Now, more than 25 years since theFresh Princefinale, they’ve continued to support each other — especially when Ali, 43, recently competed onRuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race. (Parsons even sent through a video message this season to wish Ali well on her journey as Chakra 7!)“Karyn’s like my sister,” Ali exclusively tells PEOPLE. “So we always cheer each other on her, with her writing and production and me with my performance stuff. And I’m like, Can we get closer?“Ali says having Parson’s support as she competed onCelebrity Drag Race, a period in time that required her to explore an entirely new side of herself, is “more an example of how close we are.““I could trust sharing something that was really experimental for me,” she continues. “Chakra was really experimental. It’s something new. I’ve never done anything like that before.“NBCUniversal via GettyAli was a finalist on the VH1 reality series, aiming to support the non-profit charityHansavedasbecause the organization’s “meditation techniques changed my life completely.“Even though she ended up losing the competition toAJ McLeanas Poppy Love, Ali still is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a series.“I think later in my life I’ll be able to look at this experience, the creation of Chakra 7 and just being immersed, even for a short time, in a world of drag art and say, ‘Oh, this was my career before and this is my career after,’ because I never really had anonymity,” she says. “People have always known my name since I was very, very little — and to be fearless in art when people know you so well, it’s hard. I’m human. I wish I was superhuman and it didn’t matter. But it does. Behind Chakra 7, I could just do things that Tatyana Ali would never do.“Ali continues, “Chakra 7 allowed me this freedom. Now that door has been opened, I’m not going backwards. I’m not going backwards.“VH1/World of WonderNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Episodes ofRuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Raceare now streaming on Paramount+.
Photo: Brent Perniac/AdMedia/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
Fresh Prince of Bel-AircostarsTatyana AliandKaryn Parsonsare as close as ever.The former costars’ friendship goes all the way back to their days playing Banks sisters Ashley and Hilary starting in 1990. Now, more than 25 years since theFresh Princefinale, they’ve continued to support each other — especially when Ali, 43, recently competed onRuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race. (Parsons even sent through a video message this season to wish Ali well on her journey as Chakra 7!)“Karyn’s like my sister,” Ali exclusively tells PEOPLE. “So we always cheer each other on her, with her writing and production and me with my performance stuff. And I’m like, Can we get closer?“Ali says having Parson’s support as she competed onCelebrity Drag Race, a period in time that required her to explore an entirely new side of herself, is “more an example of how close we are.““I could trust sharing something that was really experimental for me,” she continues. “Chakra was really experimental. It’s something new. I’ve never done anything like that before.“NBCUniversal via GettyAli was a finalist on the VH1 reality series, aiming to support the non-profit charityHansavedasbecause the organization’s “meditation techniques changed my life completely.“Even though she ended up losing the competition toAJ McLeanas Poppy Love, Ali still is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a series.“I think later in my life I’ll be able to look at this experience, the creation of Chakra 7 and just being immersed, even for a short time, in a world of drag art and say, ‘Oh, this was my career before and this is my career after,’ because I never really had anonymity,” she says. “People have always known my name since I was very, very little — and to be fearless in art when people know you so well, it’s hard. I’m human. I wish I was superhuman and it didn’t matter. But it does. Behind Chakra 7, I could just do things that Tatyana Ali would never do.“Ali continues, “Chakra 7 allowed me this freedom. Now that door has been opened, I’m not going backwards. I’m not going backwards.“VH1/World of WonderNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Episodes ofRuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Raceare now streaming on Paramount+.
Fresh Prince of Bel-AircostarsTatyana AliandKaryn Parsonsare as close as ever.
The former costars' friendship goes all the way back to their days playing Banks sisters Ashley and Hilary starting in 1990. Now, more than 25 years since theFresh Princefinale, they’ve continued to support each other — especially when Ali, 43, recently competed onRuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race. (Parsons even sent through a video message this season to wish Ali well on her journey as Chakra 7!)
“Karyn’s like my sister,” Ali exclusively tells PEOPLE. “So we always cheer each other on her, with her writing and production and me with my performance stuff. And I’m like, Can we get closer?”
Ali says having Parson’s support as she competed onCelebrity Drag Race, a period in time that required her to explore an entirely new side of herself, is “more an example of how close we are.”
“I could trust sharing something that was really experimental for me,” she continues. “Chakra was really experimental. It’s something new. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
NBCUniversal via Getty
Ali was a finalist on the VH1 reality series, aiming to support the non-profit charityHansavedasbecause the organization’s “meditation techniques changed my life completely.”
Even though she ended up losing the competition toAJ McLeanas Poppy Love, Ali still is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a series.
“I think later in my life I’ll be able to look at this experience, the creation of Chakra 7 and just being immersed, even for a short time, in a world of drag art and say, ‘Oh, this was my career before and this is my career after,’ because I never really had anonymity,” she says. “People have always known my name since I was very, very little — and to be fearless in art when people know you so well, it’s hard. I’m human. I wish I was superhuman and it didn’t matter. But it does. Behind Chakra 7, I could just do things that Tatyana Ali would never do.”
Ali continues, “Chakra 7 allowed me this freedom. Now that door has been opened, I’m not going backwards. I’m not going backwards.”
VH1/World of Wonder
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Episodes ofRuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Raceare now streaming on Paramount+.
source: people.com
