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Iconic actress Ruby Dee is the narrator, hip-hop artist Mary J. Blige boldly takes on the role of Betty Shabazz and Angela Bassett takes on the role of Coretta Scott King in the made for tv film.
While the daughters of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King have spoken out against the biopic, stating that the portrayals of their mother’s weren’t quite accurate, it still makes for an entertaining movie.
Watch the full video of LifetimeTV’s ‘Betty & Coretta’ + read the family’s take on the movie below…
Video via: Yardie
Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King’s daughters have spoken out against the film Betty & Coretta.
In a recent Washington Post article, Ilyasah Shabazz and Rev. Bernice King expressed frustrations over the Lifetime-produced film, mentioning that it’s full of inaccuracies and fabrications.
“My mother was not a weak, timid, insecure woman as portrayed,” Shabazz said.
“She was regal, compassionate, strong, loving, beautiful, resilient and highly educated. That is why the Delta Sigma Theta sororities named academies all across this country after her, so others could be inspired how to turn triumph into tragedy.
If only Lifetime had consulted us, the sisters, maybe this would be more than fiction. I am not pointing my finger solely at them, but it must be our responsibility to ensure history is properly documented.”
The King family is quoted in the same article as being deeply hurt by the film:
One of the basic objections was how the film suggested that Coretta Scott King accepted the accusations that her husband was unfaithful to her based on what was supposedly heard on a tape sent by the FBI to the King home.
This was not the case, as the King family has said for years.
Betty & Coretta is based on the relationship between Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King after their husbands were murdered. The story centers how they moved on as single mothers united by a commitment to social justice.
What did you think of LifetimeTV’s portrayal of Betty Shabazz & Coretta Scott King?
Did Mary J. Blige & Angela Bassett play their roles accurately?
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I think MJB & AB please a phenomenal role
That was a great movie, I watched it with my 3 daughters. Mary and Angela did a great portrayal of such beautiful and powerful women
I rather 2 women whom were icon in their own right be ACCURATELY portrayed. Rev Bernice King is on point and she knows her mother very well than most people would give her credit.
Lifetime may did a great job but the truth is the media will always distort the truth.
I think we have other black actress out there to play some of these roles. No shade to Ms. Bassett but lets give these other actress a chance. Please Hollywood let’s share these roles like Mr. Perry.
In all honesty I didnt watch the movie or support it in any way simply because of Mary J blige…of all the well trained ACTRESSES why her?!? Mary cant act to save her life. Mary playing a woman like Betty Shabazz was a SLAP!
I did hear it was Mary’s production company that put out the movie, so that could explain it…
I saw she was in a movie then changed the channel. I didn’t watch long enough to know what the movie was about other than it was a 60′s period piece
Well said, I knew half of the story lines were not true, sounded like it came from Mediafakeout dot com. lol
I have to say I agree 100% Mary was AWFUL, she can hardly speak English coherently whereas Betty Shabazz was a well spoken, educated woman. Mary needs to stick with what she does best, trying to sing to the musically challenged and tone deaf.
awww damn….lmbo
First and formost mary j. blige had no business playing a famous person she cant act i repeat she cant act and she has no personality. I didnt watch it because i knew with mary j. blige in the movie it was gone to be a bust
+1! How do you make a movie that is supposed to be biographical and not consult the families?! I didn’t watch it because I agree that Mary J. Blige couldn’t begin to accurately portray Sister Shabazz. I was thinking Vanessa Bell-Calloway, or Angela Bassett. They did us no favors nor was this movie respectful to the memories of two strong women in history. Side note: The FBI arrested Malcolm Shabazz the grandson of Malcolm X and refuse to say why or where he is being detained…Happy Black History Month.
I applaud Mary for her portrayal. Couldnt it have been that MJB auditoned against other actresses and beat them out. I’m just saying.
Mary got the role because her production company produced it. Had she auditioned, she would’ve never gotten the role. Mary brought too much of herself to the character & that may have confused the audience at times. She needs to take some acting classes before taking on roles like that.
I applaud MJ for her courage & efforts, however I was very active in the 60′s Black empowerment
Movement, and have to agree w/ the daughters of bothDR. King and Malcolm X. These men were legends, icons if you will. The greatest BLACK LEADERS IN OUR RECENT HX. Their wives, very proud, educated and regal Black women. Both were passionate, courageous & well spoken as were their husbands. I know that hollywood doesn’t really want the truth to be told however I do wish more of the truth were researched & told. W accuracy our youth have been deprived for entirely too long and need to know their truth and great hx. The FBI also tried to discredit DR. King M!alcolm X. That did not need to be apart of this pic in fact they were believed to be instumental in their deaths.
Mary J. Blige actually didnt do a bad job it wasn’t great though. I felt that some of the scenes were fabricated because they didn’t make sense. I looked as though they took everything they saw off the internet and researched and made it into a movie with a few extra scenes. It was a bad movie it made me want to learn more about Betty.
I thought it was a good start. We’ve never had a movie that focused on just the Mrs. Corretta and Dr. Betty. Maybe it can be remade later to be more accurate.
I thought it was a good movie, but it would have been nice to ask the living family members different things to make it more accurate or just ask out of respect. those pics of the two ladies r beautiful. thanks for posting them.
I agree 100 percent, truth is imperative as is respect.
That movie was tough to watch, especially the end! Mary can’t act to save her life, she sounded too damn hood in my opinion, but I thought Angela did a great job!
Anytime a film is made about a person that is no longer living & the family is NOT involved, THEY ALL SAY the film didn’t portray the person accurately!
I missed it unfortunately, but I find it interesting that Angela has now played both Betty and Coretta in movies. Actually played Betty twice, in X and then in the Black Panther movie…you know the man from New Jack City? He was in it and directed it. Mario Van Peebles!
Michael Feeny, senior vice president for corporate communication at A&E Network, said that the Shabazz and King families were not included in the project until “in post production.” Other A&E officials, who did not want to be named, said they felt involvement with the families before production would have been too difficult because of the natural inclination for families to protect their legacies.
BECAUSE THIS IS HOLLYWEIRD AND MARY J. BLIGE SOLD OUT WHEN SHE SANG FOR KFC… DAMN SELL OUT!!!
That makes sense. When families are consulted, surely there’s a lot of bias and hiding the real truth in order to protect their image. Notorious (Biggie’s movie) is a perfect example. That movie was fantasy.
when we yall lifetime is not our friends that station is TRASH
The movie actually premiered Saturday night at 8 pm.
Mary probably shouldn’t have portrayed Dr. Shabazz…but Malik Yoba definitely shouldn’t have portrayed Dr. King. C’mon now.
And I’m sorry but I’m not seeing where Dr. Shabazz was portrayed as a "weak, timid, insecure woman." In fact I saw the exact opposite…
You would have seen it, ya had to to be there.
I watched to movie because it came a perfect time..black history month. I had alot of questions watching the movie. I didnt know they were friends after the assassinations. Why was the grandson named Malcolm Jr? Was he charged for the fire( he was sentenced to 18 months in juvenile detention.)MLK cheated on his wife? All men cheat, but was that really necessary to say? We are talking about men who made a difference in the world, not who they slept with other than their wife, if they did at all. That upset me. I agree that these woman did carry on their lives as single mothers and continue to represent their husbands, the MLK holiday, the Malcolm X stamp. I was in aw of that. I think I got a little misty:)I also agree that the production company should have consulted with the families to make this movie more accurate. I mean whats the point of making a movie about Black History moments if its not true? I do not agree that either woman looked weak at all. All woman have to learn to take care of the home once the husband have died or just left.Lets face it, alot of black woman are single mothers today, and they babydaddy is right up the street. This movie made me realize one thing for sure….Mrs. King and Mrs. Shabazz were legendary and took care of the home, made committments within the community without any complaints. I am so proud of them. And whether Mary can act or not, they both did a great job!
I agree both women held their families together..I give Mary J a thumbs up I thought both women did a great job playn 2 great strong women..No matter what someone would be trying to complain about who played who..Why can’t we as people just shut up and congratulate someone..We as black people have a long way to go…
Last night was not the first airing. It debuted Saturday.
I think the movie was great for the time length that they had. I didn’t see Dr. Shabazz as being a weak, timid, insecure woman. The movie in my opinion betrayed as a black single mother that has lost her husband and now I have to only focus on me but raising my 6 daughters. Also she was a women that encourage other young women after her to not allow obstacles stand in your way of making a better life. We all know that Mrs. King was a strong women and that I feel the 2 women they chose to portray this dramatic team were great choices.
With this movie I also think that opened a door for people to research and learn more about black historical events.
I agree with you..I learned alot about Mrs. Shabbaz I am Thankful for the movie..Some people love to find anything to complain about..JUS TERRIBLE
FRANKLY,THE MOVIE SHOWED MARY J.BLIGE’S PORTRAYAL AS DR.BETTY SHABAZZ AS A LOVING AND CARING WIFE AND MOTHER.SURE SHE HAD FEARS OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HER HUSBAND.BUT WE ALL WOULD FEEL THAT WAY,BUT A STRONG WOMAN WHO HAD TO RAISE HER 6 CHILDERN, AFTER BECOMING A WIDOW SHE GOT HER DOCTORATE AND PASS ON THE HELP TO OTHER WOMEN IN SITUATIONS LIKE HER.NO WEAKNESS HERE. ENJOYED MOVIE.FURTHERMORE,I AGREE THE FAMILY PROBABLY DIDN’T WANT TO BE INVOLVED AFRAID OF SECRETS COMING OUT.
I tried watching the movie and personally it sucked for me. I’d much rather remember their incredible legacies as recorded in Black history than as portrayed in this random tv effigy. I still love Mary J. and understand her eagerness to act. Just wish she’d started her project with less formidable legendary giants.
As far as rumors, I don’t believe them. Hoover was a short egotistical cross dressing homosexual unscrupulous bastard who did everything he could to smear Martin’s earned glory. More than likely also helped fund murder of Malcolm. If there were evidence of anything that could have been used against Martin, it would have surfaced by now. What’s done in the dark eventually comes to light. Martin’s light still shines bright all over this world. Hoover’s? Not so bright, and his portrayal by Decaprio and evidence of his dirty deeds are recorded in history and his name forever the stain it was.
I really enjoyed the movie, granted Mary J should work on acting if she plans to continue with it. However I didn’t see where Mrs. Betty was protrayed as weak. As for as whether or not Mrs King acceptes the accusation of Dr. King cheating doesn’t completely make the movie fiction bc it has been known for yr. And even a close friend of Dr. King stated he did engage in extra-martial affairs. I’m sure Mrs King didn’t consults her daughter at the time of the tapes due not being old enough.
WHAT?? WAIT?? MLK had extra marital affairs?? I didn’t know that!!!!!!!!! WHOOOAAA! Still an amazing man though….
I agree what he did in his home personally is his business.he’s still my hero and did a lot of good that out shines whatever he did in his personal life. Hell he’s human.