Ciera Payton, one of the stars of Tyler Perry’s The Oval on BET, has been cast as Wendy Williams in her upcoming Lifetime biopic, Wendy Williams: The Hot Topic (working title).

Morocco Omari will play her ex-husband, Kevin Hunter. Darren Grant is the director. Leigh Davenport and Scarlett Lacey wrote the script. The movie will debut in 2021, accompanied by a feature-length documentary on Williams.

Here’s the official description: Talk show host Wendy Williams executive produces the biopic on her life, revealing the highs and lows she has experienced throughout the years. Wendy has made herself the go-to source for great celebrity dish on her hit talk show, The Wendy Williams Show, but recently the spotlight has turned towards her. The authorized project provides a revealing look at Wendy’s journey, from her scrappy upstart days in urban radio to the success of her own syndicated talk show. Despite all the naysayers and obstacles Wendy encountered throughout her life, her strength and determination have allowed her to thrive.

The film is produced by Front Street for Lifetime and executive produced by Williams, Will Packer and Sheila Ducksworth (Soul Food, Ambitions). Darren Grant will direct from a script written by Leigh Davenport (Run the World, Boomerang) and Scarlett Lacey (Magnum P.I., The Royals). The documentary will be produced by eOne and Creature Films for Lifetime. Executive producers are Wendy Williams, Tara Long, Mark Ford, Kevin Lopez, Sarah Girgis and Joie Jacoby. Brie Bryant and Gena McCarthy serve as executive producers for Lifetime.

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Wendy Williams: The Hot Topic

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