It Took Years For Wendy Williams To Plot Her New Life, Her New Biopic Tells All.
One of the purest expressions of resilience is displayed through one's ability to bounce back from life's greatest adversities; to be pulled by the tension of your personal and professional life, and not be broken. This embodiment of tenacity deserves double the applause when you're tasked with bearing the weight of it in front of millions of eyes and opinions on television and social media every day. As illustrated by daytime television trailblazer and talk radio veteran, Wendy Williams though, she was built for this.
Whether behind the scenes or in front of the lights and camera, Wendy has never shied away from owning her story and voice, no matter how controversial it may be. In Wendy Williams: The Movie, a Lifetime original film, the entertainment icon isn't holding back on any of the tea or testimonials that have shaped her into the woman we know today.
Courtesy of A+E Networks
With a career spanning over 35 years, Wendy has been deliberate about what areas of her personal life she shares with the world. Being in the public eye has its own set of undesirable effects, especially when you're the face of daytime tea while your life becomes a "Hot Topic" seemingly overnight. From battles with substance abuse, infidelity by her ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, and public dissension, Wendy has always chosen her truth over the voice of public opinion, "Every day I feel like I get smarter and stronger and I have to because I have to take care of me, my son, and my career."
"Every day I feel like I get smarter and stronger... because I have to take care of me, my son, and my career."
Traditionally, powerhouse women with successful careers and fierce ambition are often told that they must choose between a thriving profession, motherhood, and a nurturing relationship. Even in the face of those societal standards, the mogul and mother redefines that myth with the aim to pour into the areas of her life that bring the most value and purpose, "I'm in love with being on TV, I'm in love with my career. I fell in love with the microphone over 35 years ago as a paying disk jockey," Wendy shares with xoNecole.
Wendy's upcoming biopic depicts a vulnerable and transparent look into the defining moments that make up her long-standing career, high profile marriage, and its less-than-glamorous ending. Despite having to relive some of the toughest moments of her life, retrospectively, Wendy looks back on her story with admiration of her own strength and fortitude, "And ya know, I had a lot of fun doing this movie because it almost didn't feel like I was talking about me. I look back and say, 'I can't believe I survived that.'"
"I never woke up and said, 'Oh, I'm getting a divorce.' Or 'Oh, I'm going to be on TV.' It didn't happen like that. The only thing that happened like that was 'Oh, I'm going to be on the radio."'
According to the 56-year-old media personality, translating this strength through her onscreen doppelganger, Ciera Payton, was executed by keeping things light, even it the darkest moments, "I'd call Ciera (Payton) and say, 'when you do this scene, make sure you giggle at the end. And make sure that the fighting you do with my ex-husband ends with giggles and strength because it took me years to plot my new life, not a moment."
Wendy Williams: The Movie premieres Saturday, January 30, at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.
Featured image by lev radin / Shutterstock.com
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
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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ItGirl In Motion: DonYé Taylor Asked Herself This Question When Creating Her Brainchild
"Being an 'ItGirl' is all about being yourself and taking all of the elements that make you who you are and displaying them at your highest capability," creative brainiac DonYé Taylor says in the introduction of the limited video series, "ItGirl In Motion."
In partnership with Hyundai, xoNecole has unveiled the limited series in conjunction with our inaugural ItGirl 100 list. The list boasts 100 Black women who not only innovate and take up space when it comes to putting on for their cities, but also as the driving force behind brands that create impact for the culture. ItGirl DonYé Taylor is one of the 100 featured ladies who put her purpose into action.
ITGIRL IN MOTION with DONYE TAYLORwww.youtube.com
As a marketing consultant, content creator, and CEO, a driving force behind DonYé's ambitions has been to show others how she sees the world by "creating art and doing things that shift perspective." In founding her brainchild, Nüclei, which is coincidentally also home to the ever-so-chic chrome brain piggybank, DonYé briefly touched on the inspiration behind the brand. "I was like, 'What would it look like if I were to be of service to myself?' And that's what made me create Nuclei," she said.
Watch the video above to take a peek into the life of the LA-based ItGirl, the importance of Black women receiving our "flowers" while we're here, and the three things she believes are absolutely essential to any ItGirl.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of DonYé and our partnership with Hyundai.
CREDITS
Director: Mikkoh @mikkoh
Production Company: @30inthemorning
AD/Gimbal Op: @jeffreyrattanong
DP: @jucelandrin_
Editor: @30inthemorning
1st AC: Bonnie Delgado @bonniebellevue
2nd AC: Liz Robles @lizfatimarobles
FPV Drone Op: Kai Kevin Goh @kaivertigoh
Gaffer: Nelson Nguyen @nelson_ftw
Key Grip: Ames Hoang @mangothemaker
SLT: Jamon Tolbert @jamon.tolbert
Sound Mixer: Deyo Forteza @introducingdeyo
PA: Breyona Holt @exquisite_eye
PA: Aminah Muhammad @aminahmuhamm
BTS: Marika Belamarich @marikarosegold
Featured image by Marika Belamarich for xoNecole