Singer and songwriter K. Michelle recently opened up about a missed opportunity she says still haunts her. In a post shared by a fan on Twitter, the former “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta” alum revealed that she almost secured the role of Mercedes in the popular Starz’s drama series “P-Valley.”
K. Michelle, whose real name is Kimberly Michelle Pate, appeared Sept. 14 on an Instagram Live where she spoke candidly about losing out on the role. “Brandee, who plays Mercedes, [and] I auditioned for months for this part as Mercedes,” the singer began the clip. She added, “And it was between me and her. My body wasn’t together. I had holes in me.”
The former reality star then went on to congratulate actress Brandee Evans on portraying the leading character, saying that she “does an amazing job at what she does.”
However, K. Michelle admitted that it “hurt her” not to get the role. She also confessed to not having watched the full series for that particular reason. “It hurts so bad. Nothing hurts me so bad then to see y’all comparing me and doing this p—y valley thing, ’cause I was that close,” the singer explained. She continued, “That was my first role that I was really that close to getting. It hurts so, man. It does hurt me.” The former reality star said she cried for months and ultimately became depressed.
Yet, even during her disappointment, K. Michelle applauded the show’s creator Katori Hall on putting the show together and how proud she was of the women. The “Save Me” singer also revealed that all three women share similar roots as natives of Memphis, Tennessee.
Fans showed their support with kind words of encouragement to Michelle, including one user who wrote, “Hey K, you are a super star. You will get another opportunity.”
Another tweeted, “I admire her goiing public with this. It takes strength to be vulnerable. Ppl only show the success and act like everything is great all the time.” They added, “This is real.”
Many fans also noted similarities between K. Michelle and Evans, including one fan who wrote, “Id cry if I was that close to getting the role too. How ironic is it that she and Brandee have the same look and demeanor. Thank goodness they made the right decision.”
“P-Valley” made its debut on Starz in July 2020. The series follows the lives of employees working at a strip club called The Pynk in the fictional city of Chucalissa, Mississippi. After rave reviews, the show announced it had been renewed for a second season. The show stars Evans alongside Nicco Annan, Elarica Johnson, J. Alphonse, and many more.
