Mary J. Blige has inked a new deal to return to Lifetime to executive produce multiple new original movies, including Family Affair, which will see Ajiona Alexus and Da’Vinchi reprise their roles from prior films.
Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair (working title) will debut in 2025 as a part of Lifetime’s Voices of a Lifetime movie slate.
Inspired by Blige’s song of the same name, the film continues Kendra (Alexus) and Ben (Da’Vinchi)’s love story from the 2023 Lifetime films, Mary J. Blige’s Real Love and Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman.
Production on the third installment begins this month.
What will Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair on Lifetime be about?
For background on the first two films, as the network states, “the love story of Kendra (Ajiona Alexus) and Ben (Da’Vinchi) began when 18-year-old Kendra set off on her own for the first time at an HBCU where she found herself falling hard for Ben. After discovering the meaning of ‘real love’ and then leaving Ben behind to pursue her dreams Kendra becomes a successful photographer. When Ben unexpectedly comes back into her life, she is forced to a crisis point and must dig deep to find her ‘strength’ and accept Ben’s love.”
Her’s the official synopsis for the new film:
Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair (wt) picks up as Kendra and Ben move out of the city in hopes of finally building a life together. With all their family around and inserted in their lives, tensions rise as they struggle with fertility issues and Kendra tries to find her footing with Ben’s son Miles. Their relationship reaches a boiling point when Ben secretly helps his brother, and Kendra returns to the city and an old friend comes back into her life. The family must come together to help Kendra and Ben save their relationship and stay true to their real love.
Jordan and John Davis of Davis Entertainment return to executive produce the film. Blige will produce through her Blue Butterfly banner. Bruce Miller and Milana Edwards-Brooks are co-producers. Alexus and Da’Vinchi are executive producers as well, and Troy Scott is the director and Rachel Ingram is the writer.
Mary J. Blige’s Real Love and Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman reached more than 6.4 million viewers (Nielsen data reported by Lifetime) and was the No. 1 entertainment telecast on cable for two Saturdays back to back. Blige also executive Lifetime’s 2020 movie, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, alongside Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott. She also starred as Dr. Betty Shabazz alongside Angela Bassett’s Coretta Scott King in Lifetime’s civil rights biopic, Betty & Coretta.
