'Family Matters' Actress Jaimee Foxworth Shared Pics of Her Look-Alike 10-Year-Old Son

Her character was unceremoniously scrapped on “Family Matters,” and after going through hell and back, Jaimee Foxworth – who played Judy Winslow – is finally in a good place as she dotes on her lookalike son.

If you were a fan of the popular 90s ABC/CBS sitcom, then you’ll remember Judy, the last child of patriarch Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson) and his wife, Harriette (Jo Marie Payton).

HER EXIT FROM THE SHOW

Still a child at the time, Foxworth nailed her portrayal of Judy Winslow and helped bring laughs to viewers across the country, but after Steve Urkel, the mischievous nerd played by Jaleel White, made his appearance halfway into season 1, producers began to reduce her presence on the show.

Urkel’s character took on a life of its own, and by the end of season 4, bosses probably felt there was no use for Judy anymore. And just like that, Foxworth was out of a job.

A PAINFUL WAY TO DO IT

What hurt fans at the time was that there were no explanations given for Judy’s disappearance; she just poofed, and there was no mention of her on the show ever again.

“The producers felt that they could do it and no one would notice,” Foxworth told The Root in an interview two years ago. “They figured no one would really care [but] my fans took notice of it.”

TROUBLED LIFE AFTER 'FAMILY MATTERS'

Unfortunately, life after “Family Matters” was not exactly smooth sailing. Foxworth admitted that getting fired from the show affected her self-esteem and made her feel that she wasn’t good at her job, but that was not her only battle.

Foxworth and her family struggled financially, and her parents even had to use her trust fund when things got bad. To cope, the actress turned to alcohol.

Things took a turn for the worse when, in a bid to make more money, Foxworth ventured into adult films. Her new line of work had her struggling with guilt and shame, and in no time, the Illinois native turned to painkillers and marijuana to help numb the pain.

During an appearance on “Celebrity Rehab” in 2008, Foxworth said she had begun weaning herself off of drugs and alcohol, but what did the trick was finding out she was pregnant with her boyfriend Michael Shaw’s baby later the same year.

MIRACLE IN A BABY

According to HuffPost, Foxworth sat with “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” in 2014 and recalled the conversation that led to her giving up the addiction:

“I started thinking to myself, ‘When your son is 2 months old, how are you going to be able to smoke weed and occasionally drink and still be able to function day-to-day? And make bottles? And give him naptime and baths and all that?’”

“I made a prayer to God, and I was like, ‘If you just give me the healthiest son, I will stop today,’” she added. “I stopped. And I haven’t had a craving since.”

Today, that son, Michael Douglas Shaw Jr., is ten years old and the pride of his mother. “My lifestyle has changed drastically. …Being a mom has changed me in the best ways possible,” she told “Oprah” at the time.

ENJOYING THE MOM LIFE

Five years after that interview, Foxworth is still a doting mother to her son. A look at her Instagram page reveals that the former child star and Michael Jr. share a close bond as she regularly posts photos of them being goofy.

In 2017, Entertainment Weekly excluded Foxworth from a cast reunion photo-shoot (even though they remembered to include a photo of the late Rosetta LeNoire who played Mother Winslow).

THE NEW JAIMEE FOXWORTH

Foxworth confirmed that she was not contacted for the shoot but made it known that she was a long way from the disillusioned young woman who turned to porn and substance abuse.

“I’m not that little girl anymore. Judy and Family Matters don’t define me. What defines me is how my son turns out.”

“I don’t want people to look at my past, and even this situation, and judge me,” she added. “I am extremely happy in the place that I’m in right now. I’m just trying to live my best life.”

Good for you, girl!