BLM leader Patrisse Cullors quietly dumped from Warner Bros TV deal
Warner Bros Television Group terminated a multi-platform agreement with Patrisse Cullors, the former leader of Black Lives Matter, in a confidential manner, as reported by The Post.
Despite Cullors' claims of planning various types of shows, including dramas, comedies, documentary series, and animated programming for children, no productions were actually made under the deal.
According to a source familiar with the studio's contract negotiations, an overall deal with Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of BLM, was signed by the studio at some point in 2020. However, the agreement expired at the end of October 2022 without any resulting shows.
The multi-year deal aimed to develop and produce original content that focused on black stories across streaming, cable, and broadcast platforms. It was supposed to encompass both animated and children's content, as well as scripted and unscripted series, as reported by Variety in October 2020.
The studio intended to leverage Cullors' experience as a leader of the movement, which originated in her Los Angeles home's courtyard back in 2013, according to a statement released at the time.
The exact value of the deal was not disclosed in the initial reporting.
A representative for Warner Bros, now part of Warner Bros. Discovery, declined to comment on the matter when approached by The Post.
Cullors, on her part, did not respond to requests for comment regarding the contract's termination.
The end of Cullors' contract in October 2022 starkly contrasts with an interview she gave to The Hollywood Reporter in January of the same year. During that interview, she mentioned working on documentaries exploring the concept of "landback" as a form of reparations for Native Americans, black social mobility in the US, and a scripted project centered around marijuana. She also expressed interest in creating projects highlighting female black leaders and the challenges faced by black individuals under the existing societal system.
In May 2021, Cullors, an artist and activist, resigned from Black Lives Matter, following reports by The Post about her substantial real estate purchases totaling $3.2 million in California and Georgia. Cullors asserted that she had not utilized any funds from the non-profit organization for these acquisitions and explained her resignation as a step towards focusing on her book and TV deal.
Cullors emphasized that her decision to leave had been in progress for a while and was unrelated to what she referred to as "right-wing attacks" aimed at discrediting her character.
A year after signing the deal with Warner Bros, Cullors acquired a spacious 2,500-square-foot home in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, for $1.4 million, according to public records. She subsequently invested tens of thousands of dollars in installing a fence around the property. Recent reports suggest that she has been redirecting her efforts towards art projects, with gallery shows featuring her work taking place in Los Angeles over the past few months.
