A scripted series about the life of Cyntoia Brown is in the works over at Starz.
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
According to reports from Deadline, the network that’s home to shows like Power and P-Valley is developing a limited drama series based on Brown’s memoir, Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System.
Co-written by journalist Bethany Mauger, the book provides an inside look into the criminal justice system as experienced by Cyntoia, who was just 16 years old when she was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man who paid to have sex with her. Now 33, Brown maintained her innocence throughout her 15 years behind bars, claiming she killed the man in an act of self-defense.
Celebrities including Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and LeBron James all used their platforms to rally for Brown, helping her story reach national headlines as they argued that her punishment was unconstitutional. Cyntoia’s life sentence ended up beinng commuted in 2019, and she was released from prison that summer.
As for this upcoming project, La La Anthony reportedly presented the project to 50 Cent’s G-Unit Film & Television, Inc, with the company agreeing to develop the series under his overall deal with Starz. Brown will consult on the project alongside her husband, Jamie Long.
“For [Brown] to trust me with this story, after everything she’s been through, it’s not something I take lightly,” Anthony said while speaking to Essence last year. “I was so proud of what [50 Cent] did with the series For Life. I just felt like we were already great partners and it could be good.”
This series is part of Starz’s #TakeTheLead initiative, which aims to amplify the voices of women and underrepresented groups through diverse storytelling.
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