LOS ANGELES, CA (January 6, 2026) - Lifetime continues its partnership with GRAMMY® Award winner, two-time Academy Award® nominee, and Golden Globe nominee Mary J. Blige for three new original films, extending the previous deal in which Blige executive produced three original movies inspired by her iconic music, Real Love, Strength of a Woman and Family Affair. The first film under her new deal, Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy, marks a collaboration between Blue Butterfly Productions, Blige’s production company, and Mona Scott-Young for Monami Productions and is produced in association with Motion Entertainment and Swirl Films.
Academy Award® nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe (Precious, Give Me Back My Daughter) makes her television film directorial debut with Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy and directs from a script by Cameron J. Ross (The Summer I Turned Pretty). NAACP Image Award-winners Tisha Campbell and Mekhi Phifer and SAG Award nominee Russell Hornsby are set to star. Premiering Saturday, February 7th at 8/7c as part of the winter 2026 Love of a Lifetime slate, the film explores themes of reinvention, intimacy, and the turning points that define midlife as one woman embarks on a journey to rediscover her purpose and her voice to reshape her future.
Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy follows 50-year-old Val (Tisha Campbell, Operation Aunties, Act Your Age), a devoted wife and stay at home mom, who is eager to reignite the spark in her marriage when her youngest child leaves for college. Grappling with empty-nest feelings, loneliness and growing emotional distance from her husband Ross (Russell Hornsby, BMF, The Hate U Give), Val begins to realize that her marriage and the woman she once was, may be slipping away. A spontaneous escape to New Orleans to support her pregnant daughter, Kayla (Zing Ashford, Sistas, Camp TV), awakens long-buried dreams and passions and introduces her to Peter Mosley (Mekhi Phifer, ER, 8 Mile), a handsome and charismatic photographer who sees her in ways she has forgotten to see herself. Reawakening her artistic spirit and rediscovering her worth, Val must face a life-altering question: is it ever too late to choose yourself and the love you truly deserve?
Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy joins Lifetime’s roster of movies inspired by her iconic music. Mary J Blige’s Real Love, Mary J Blige’s Strength of a Woman and Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair, starred Ajiona Alexus and Da’Vinchi, and collectively reached more than 6.1 million Total Viewers on linear. *¹
Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy is produced by Blue Butterfly Productions, Monami Productions, Motion Entertainment and Swirl Films for Lifetime. Through her production company Blue Butterfly, Mary J. Blige serves as executive producer, joined by Bruce Miller and Milana Edwards Brooks as co-producers. Mona Scott-Young and Angela White serve as producers and Nick Roses, Mychael G. Chinn, Stephanie R. Gayle and Michael Lang serve as executive producers for Monami Productions. Chet Fenster executive produces for Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media Company while Eric Tomosunas executive produces for Swirl Films. Gabourey Sidibe directs from a script written by Cameron J. Ross.
¹ Source: Nielsen, Live+35, 6/10/23–9/8/23, Total Viewers; reach based on 1+ minute qualifier; 17 telecasts across LIFE and LMN of Mary J. Blige’s Real Love and Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman.
###
