Taraji P. Henson Will Guest Star on 'Abbott Elementary' as Janine's ...

While Quinta Brunson couldn't attend the "Abbott Elementary" panel at 2023 PaleyFest April 1 due to her "Saturday Night Live" hosting duties, she did send in a sweet video message thanking fans for their support.

But Brunson wasn't the only actor greeting the audience with a surprise video message.

Before the Los Angeles event ended, Taraji P. Henson announced she will appear on the show April 12, the penultimate episode of the season, as Janine’s mother. 

The audience at the Dolby Theatre erupted with applause and cheers as Henson said in the clip, “You already met hersister so why not make it a family affair.” 

“Now I can’t share too many details with you so you’ll have to tune in to ABC, April 12,” the “Empire” star said. “But I can guarantee you that it is going to be a riot.”

Henson added, “I have been a fan of ‘Abbott Elementary’ since day one. I’m so proud of Quinta, and I was excited to join her and the amazing cast.” 

The Twitter account for the mockumentary also tweeted a picture of Brunson and Henson in costume, confirming the news.

"About that episode titled 'mom' you saw earlier," the show captioned the photo.

So far, fans have learned throughout Season Two that Janine and her mom have an estranged relationship.

At the panel, Sheryl Lee Ralph joked that before Janine and Gregory start dating they both need to go to therapy. Ralph said Gregory, played by Tyler James Williams, has "daddy issues."

“And I need Janine to get into therapy for herself because she’s got mommy issues and sister issues," she added.

Previously, Ayo Edebiri guest starred in person on the hit sitcom as Janine's sister, Ayesha, in Episode 18 of Season Two, "Teacher Appreciation." Edebiri had previously appeared on the ABC show in a video call with her sister during Episode 14, "Valentine's Day."

Janine and Ayesha's conflict came to a head during an intense game night in Episode 18. Janine accused her sister of abandoning her and their mother by moving away from Philadelphia at a young age. At the end of the episode, the two realized they were both doing their best to take care of themselves and their mother.

Fellow cast members Janelle James and Chris Perfetti, who were in Florida and New York working on other projects, also surprised the PaleyFest audience by appearing virtually during the panel.