Ja’Net DuBois remembered: Good Times' Norman Lear, Janet Jackson and BernNadette Stanis pay tribute

Deadline

The death of the Emmy-winning actress best known for playing nosey and vivacious neighbor Willona Woods on the 1974-1979 CBS sitcom inspired social media tributes. Norman Lear, who developed Good Times as a spinoff of Maude, posted an image on Instagram of him and Dubois together two months ago at the Live in Front of a Studio Audience taping for Good Times. "Ja’Net DuBois was all light and will be missed. I love that she wrote the theme song for her passing, 'Movin’ on Up,'" Lear wrote on Instagram, referring to DuBois co-writing and singing The Jeffersons theme song. Janet Jackson, who portrayed her adopted daughter “Penny” Woods, also honored her on Instagram. “I am so very saddened to hear my longtime friend Ja’Net DuBois has passed away,” Jackson wrote. “I saw first hand how she broke stereotypes and changed the landscape for Black women in entertainment. I’m grateful in recent years I had a chance to see her and create more lasting memories.” BernNadette Stanis, who played Thelma Evans on Good Times, also joined DuBois at the Live in Front of a Studio Audience taping. In an Instagram video, Stanis recalled DuBois writing The Jeffersons theme. “You were like an aunt to me," Stanis wrote in a separate post. "We shared so many things, from my early days on Good Times to just two weeks ago at the Hollywood Show. I will miss you and all of your cast family will miss you. Rest In Peace Beautiful Soul. We are praying for your family." Also paying tribute to DuBois was Viola Davis, who played Esther Rolle's character Florida Evans in Live in Front of a Studio Audience. "Oh man!!!" Davis tweeted, accompanied by a photo of her DuBois and Stanis. "Just saw you! What a pleasure it was to meet you. You shaped so much of the best memories of my childhood! God bless you, Ja’net DuBois! RIP."