Gossip diva Wendy Williams is teaming up with legendary music and film executive Suzanne de Passe for a major venture that’ll produce films for both TV and the movie screen—kicking off with a television adaptation of a Star Jones novel about the cut-throat world of daytime TV.
The partnership aims to tap into the diverse audience Williams has amassed with her hugely successful daytime TV gabfest, The Wendy Williams Show, on which she features provocative interviews with a diverse mix of interviews with A-list celebrity guests from television, film, music and sports. Movies Williams produces with de Passe will be presented under a new “Wendy Williams Presents” banner.
“Wendy’s popularity and brand is evidenced by her success in daytime television,” said de Passe, who, along with partner Madison Jones, produces films under her de Passe Jones Entertainment. “We are looking forward to expanding her brand and audience in all areas of filmed and scripted entertainment.”
Williams, a bestselling author and former syndicated radio show host who debuted The Wendy Williams Show in 2008, said the partnership makes “great sense” to her Wendy Williams Productions’ entry into the world of filmed entertainment because “de Passe Jones Entertainment has a proven track record of success as it pertains to television movies and mini-series,” including the hit ‘90s sitcom Sister, Sister and the made-for-TV biopics on The Temptations and The Jacksons. Williams added in a statement: “The credentials of Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones speak for themselves. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with de Passe Jones Entertainment and adding to their stellar and lengthy string of highly successful films.”
Star Jones, a former host on The View, revealed on Williams’ show in May that she would be doing a TV movie with dePasse for VH-1 based on her novel, “Satan’s Sisters.” Now, under her new “Wendy Williams Presents” production deal, Williams will be a producer of the saucy new made-for-TV movie. The partnership announcement comes just months after Williams made her star turn in the April movie release of Think Like a Man and she launched “Adorn by Wendy Williams,” a line of fashion accessories with QVC. Williams, who competed last year on Dancing With the Stars, also plans to launch a shoe line this fall.
