Journalist Shaun Robinson Shares The Real Reason She Left 'Access Hollywood' After 16 Years
After 16 seasons on NBC's, Access Hollywood, working countless red carpets, and interviewing hundreds of A-List celebrities, Emmy-award-winning journalist Shaun Robinson has proven that she is the G.O.A.T.
With this being said, you can only imagine the excitement (and nerves) I experienced when the opportunity arose for me to speak with the Detroit native who has interviewed legends including the late Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and countless others.
Eager to uncover the beautiful woman behind the microphone that has mastered using her charm to woo celebrities into opening the window to their glamorous lifestyles, we started our conversation from the beginning.
For her, it all started when she was a young girl in her grandma's living room watching the evening news, and a Black anchor, Beverly Payne, appeared on the screen. "I was mesmerized. She was the only woman of color [on the news] and I knew she was different because she looked like me," Shaun shared with xoNecole exclusively. "She set me on the path towards journalism."
While studying at Spelman, Shaun lucked up and landed her first big break, a television job as a host on a cable station talk show. While recapping her first experience, she made one thing clear: it wasn't all glamour.
"Now, this wasn't cable like today's cable, this was like Wayne's World cable," she remembers. "This was a local-local cable show."
Filled with the jitters, she remembers thinking, Is this something I can do? Trusting the process, it proved to be the right decision.
"I was working at a local, Black-owned channel in Detroit and I was so glad to be in my hometown because it meant that my parents would see me on TV. It was a wonderful and tremendous training ground for me because I gained experience in how to write, report, edit, and anchor a show. Eventually, I got a talk show there and that opportunity prepared me for my future."
Using her on-air talent, she found herself dubbed "Detroit's Oprah" in a local newspaper feature, making her a true hometown success.
Venturing out, Shaun later moved on and began working in Milwaukee, WI as a medical reporter, but in 1999, she found herself gracing international TV screens when she landed her position with Access Hollywood. With 16 seasons and thousands of interviews under her belt, there is one interview that she remembers like yesterday. Speaking one-on-one with singing legend Whitney Houston, right before her passing in February of 2012.
"It was at the Fox Theater in Detroit and I had my parents with me," she explains. "She seemed so happy and ready to get her life back on track. I was thriving off her good energy because she was so excited to be doing movies and her future was so brilliant."
Shaun still has fond memories of that day with Whitney taking a picture with her parents and treating them like family. "I'm just glad I had that opportunity to speak with her."
After gracing our screens every day for years with the celebrity tea, in 2015, Shaun saw fit to pass over her mic and give the opportunity to the next person in line. While many people were shocked to see her leave, she felt it was time to flex her many other talents.
"With me, that box has been checked. I had aspirations of being on a national entertainment show during a time when there was no cable or internet. It was at a time when it was too hard for a Black woman to get a job in the media profession. I was thinking too big but I was on one entertainment show longer than anyone except Mary Hart," she points out about her major life's accomplishment.
"I had aspirations of being on a national entertainment show during a time when there was no cable or internet. It was at a time when it was too hard for a Black woman to get a job in the media profession."
As a living legend in the world of entertainment news, she humbly accepts being considered a Black woman that broke the mold.
"After I left Access Hollywood, young Black women would tell me how much of an impact I had on them and their careers, and how I inspired them to pursue careers in journalism."
Just as she was inspired by Beverly Payne, Shaun takes her position as a role model very seriously. "The role of inspiring young women to pursue their dreams is something I take to heart. Like my grandmother said to me, 'If God gives you a platform, use it to help others.'"
Shaun took her grandmother's word to heart and began to work on making a difference in the lives of others in a major way. The 56-year-old Motor City native launched the S.H.A.U.N. Foundation for Girls, that now creates grants and opportunities for young women that have an interest in these five key areas: STEM, Health, Art, Unity, and Neighborhood.
"If there is a non-profit doing work in one of these five key areas, we could possibly be a resource for them," Shaun explains. "I want to help little girls and young women of color by leveling the playing field for them and supporting them in order to compete in a world that is not always receptive to women being, let's say, engineers. We help organizations that deal directly with girls and young women so that they can have an impact on their communities and then the world."
Besides being a philanthropist and the author of Exactly As I Am, Shaun has been flexing her production skills and creating movies that are soon to be released. "My lawyer said, 'Shaun, don't be just talent,'" she shared.
And to prove that she is more than just a pretty face interviewing on the red carpet, she signed a deal along with pastor and filmmaker, T.D. Jakes, to bring movies to our at-home screens via the Lifetime Network. "We will be producing a series of books by Victoria Christopher Murray called, The Seven Deadly Sins."
Although she was not able to share all the juicy details with me, she can share that she is thrilled beyond measure to be doing this with a Black cast and crew. "This world and this business have a way of trying to tear people down and tell them that they're not good enough," she says, speaking from the heart. "I was on AH during its heyday, when it was one of the only games in town, and I was the only Black face working media on the red carpet. The entertainment industry business has changed a lot."
Shaun recalls an interview she did with Oprah Winfrey for her book, "She gave a wonderful quote, 'You're valuable because you were born.' I always thought that was a powerful quote because you don't need outside validation, you don't need social media validation or anything like that. Just know you're valuable because you were born and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to."
"Just know you're valuable because you were born and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to."
To catch up with Shaun Robinson and her latest ventures, follow her on Instagram (@msshaunrobinson) and to learn more about her organization, visit shaunfoundationforgirls.org.
Featured image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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