Black-ish's Bow and Dre have had their highs and lows over the years—and so have the actors who portray them.
Ahead of the ABC comedy's eighth and final season premiere tonight, Jan. 4, Anthony Anderson revealed to Parade magazine that he was not on great terms with Tracee Ellis Ross ahead of Black-ish's series debut in 2014. According to the Law & Order actor, he offended his longtime TV wife thanks to a joke he made during the 2005 Vibe Awards.
"We laugh about this now, but Tracee didn't like me for maybe 10 years," he shared. "As we were walking onto the stage there was a loud sound over the speaker, and I said, 'Tracee? Did you fart?' The audience loved it, but what I did not know is how offended Tracee was by that comment."
And though the pair worked together again in 2011, when Anderson appeared on Ross' short-lived sitcom Reed Between the Lines, their relationship was icy at best. But Anderson said that he didn't realize that at the time.
"When it came time for my close-up, she would leave the stage," he recalled. "Like, 'The stage is Anthony's!' I thought Tracee was just showing me the utmost respect as an actor. I was like 'Oh, my God, I've never been treated like this before! I was a guest star on her show, and she was just giving me her set!'"
However, in hindsight, Anderson acknowledged that Ross "didn't want to be around me," adding, "She really didn't start liking me until we were midway through the first season of Black-ish, and so we laugh about it now."
Clearly it's water under the bridge now, as Ross recently gushed about her co-star in a "Farewell to Black-ish" featurette exclusive to E! News. "Ending a show is hard," Ross shared in the clip. "I've spent more time being married to Dre than not. It's the longest relationship I've had."
As for what's to come for the final season? Anderson promised that Black-ish is "going to wrap up [season eight] in a nice little bow and hand it to the public."
For more of Ross and Anderson, catch the season eight premiere of Black-ish tonight, Jan. 4, at 9:30 p.m. on ABC.