Few rappers have captivated the masses like Megan Thee Stallion has. Whether it be due to her unapologetic lyrics, fun-loving personality, or infinite love for her “hotties,” Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Pete, is a star. And now she is ready to share her story. In Prime Video’s Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words, the Grammy-winning Houston rapper opens up like never before. Director Nneka Onuorah was at the helm of the intimate project, capturing everything from Megan grieving the loss of her mother to enduring the trial and backlash from her 2020 shooting at the hands of Tory Lanez— all while in the public eye.
“We were supposed to meet for an hour, and that hour turned into three hours,” Onuorah told Blavity’s Shadow & Act in a recent interview.
She continued detailing her first meeting with the rapper. “We had tears and laughter. I realized that this woman was going through a very tumultuous time in her life and that we needed to capture every moment from that point because she was at the highest point of her career while simultaneously emotionally being very low.”
Onuorah, who won a 2022 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program for her work on Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, understands the importance of being a “safe space” for her subjects, coaching them through moments of vulnerability, and showing up for them as they try to take their walls down.
“I had to sit down and have a conversation with Megan. I told her, ‘I’m here to support you. I want you to feel safe. What do you need from me? Cause I want to offer myself to you,'” she said.
For the more intimate moments in the film, Onuorah took the extra step of allowing only herself and her iPhone film Megan so that the rapper could feel comfortable being candid in front of the camera.
The director expressed how, despite the fact that the rapper is a star with millions of people who adore her, Megan would often go through things alone and stay to herself. While Megan’s solitude might have made her feel protected, Onuorah knew the documentary would require Megan to break through that wall.
She laughed as she shared that Megan let the wall crumble between them and how jalapeño kettle chips were the catalyst.
“She wanted chips and spiraled out of control about it because she was just going through a stressful day,” Onuorah said. She recalled the laugh they shared before ultimately letting the star have space to “express herself.”
“I think we laughed together at that moment of spiraling,” Onuorah continued. “And because I gave her [Megan] the space to express herself, laughter brought us together and made us connect more and realize that we all have those moments as women when things stress us out, and we spiral into a fit and that’s OK.”
Viewers will hear Onuorah guiding the rapper through that moment, just as they will notice how she handled Megan opening up about losing her mother, Holly, in 2019 and having to choose to “pull the plug.” Megan considers that year “the worst year of [her] life.”
Viewers will also feel Onuorah’s support as she allowed Megan to freely express herself about the fallout following the Torey Lanez trial and to state her grievances about the media and male rappers who consistently disrespect her.
The director said getting the chance to show Megan’s more vulnerable side, hold space for her, and share her story indicated that Onuorah was “walking in [her] purpose.”
She shared, “The process was just beautiful — to hold space for her. I do this work in film because I want to empower women, communities of color and people to love themselves and be their most authentic selves with bravery and strength. I think doing this film was another example of something that God ordained in me.”
Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words is streaming now on Prime Video.
