Weird weight-loss ritual: Tatyana Ali cries to reduce bloating

The 33-year-old, who played Will Smith’s little cousin, Ashley Banks, on the hit NBC sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air, told the Huffington Post: ‘I cry three times a day as part of my workout routine. It really targets the core. Great way to reduce bloating.’

Miss Ali previously said that she felt under pressure to get her 5ft 4in frame back in shape after taking a brief break from the spotlight to study at Harvard University.

She explained to The Examiner: ‘I wouldn’t call myself one of the ”skinny girls”, but I’m small. I’m 5’4″ and I wear a size 4; I’m small.

‘But still, I was recently featured in a magazine in one of those ”who wore it best” sections and I was called the ”curvy girl”.

‘It’s been a shift for me as I’ve become a little older and my body doesn’t do what it used to.’

As well as crying Miss Ali, told the Huffington Post that she regularly dances, and when no-one is watching she enjoys throwing some ‘interpretive’ moves to songs by Tori Amos.

Bizarre workout rituals aside, the Brooklyn native who is now based in Los Angeles, took the opportunity to divulge a number of other intimate details during the candid interview.

When quizzed about her guilty pleasures, she exclaimed:: ‘Bread pudding with chocolate… And one-night stands.’

She added that the ‘dumbest’ thing she had ever read about herself is that she only dates ‘white guys’.

‘It’s dumb because it’s not true; I’m equal opportunity.

‘But honestly, it’s really dumb to me because I can’t believe people still care about this in 2013.’

Miss Ali started her acting career aged six as a regular child performer on Sesame Street.

She made her breakthrough when she hit screens on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990.

The final episode aired on May 20, 1996, although reruns of the popular series are still shown today.

When asked what the best piece of advice Will Smith gave to her off-sceen, she replied: ‘Never be afraid to be on your own. It can mean that your path is only up to you, and the possibilities are wide open. Anything can happen.’

Since leaving the show she has appeared in a string of films, TV shows and stage productions.

She also released an album titled Kiss the Sky in 1998 which reached number 47 in the U.S. charts.