Lil Mama, Tami Roman, Tasha Smith, and More Attend the New York Premiere of ‘When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story’
The premiere of the TV One original movie, When Loves Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story was August 15 in New York City. The premiere brought out a lot of supporters like Drag-On, Maino, Love and Hip Hop's Yandy Smith, Basketball Wives of L.A.'s Jackie Christie, Americas Top Model, Bre Scullark, Ty Hunter and many more.
The film was directed by Tasha Smith and is a true life story that follows Falicia Blaekly (played by Lil Mama) who at sixteen is a single mother living in Atlanta and strips to make ends meet. She meets an older guy Big Dino (Lance Gross) and she enters an abusive relationship that turns deadly when she along with another female accomplice commits three murders in the span of three days at the order of Big Dino who also served as her pimp.
After the movie finished there was a short Q&A, Lil Mama was asked how the role impacted her as a young woman. "The role helped to stretch me," she said. I had to go outside of who I was and really become Falicia. I couldn't judge her and in the beginning that was hard for me."
When asked what she believes young women who watch the film can take away she said, "Young women will be able to see how easy it is to get caught up." She continued, "In the beginning as you saw it was all romance, gifts, and attention, and then it all changed. I'm happy they chose Lance Gross because often times we think of the guy who abuses women as ugly and then we judge the woman. But with Lance being attractive it shows you how the story can unfold."
Kirkland also admitted that she was scared to take the role as Falicia. "I never wanted to expose my body and I asked my dad about it," she said. "He was the one who told me that in order for me to bring Falicia's story to life I had to let go of the fear."
The film also stars Tami Roman as Falicia's mom, Floyd Mayweather, Tiffany Black, Robert Crayton, Kendrick Cross, Don Wallace, and Karon Joseph. The film will air on TV One on Monday, August 28 at 9/8 c. Take a look at the trailer above.