Singer Keri Hilson stars in the upcoming Lifetime movie “Lust: A Seven Deadly Sins Story.” The movie explores the power of lust through Hilson’s character, Tiffanie Cooper, whose world turns upside down when she is about to have the wedding of her dreams to her soul mate Damon King (Tobias Truvillion) but gets distracted by her fiancé’s old friend and best man Trey Taylor (Durrell “Tank” Babbs).
Hilson, a two-time Grammy nominee who hit the R&B music scene in the late 2000s with her hit songs “Pretty Girl Rock,” “Turn Me On,” and ”Knock You Down,” says playing the character of Cooper wasn’t as hard as one would think. “It was a lot of fun for me,” Hilson revealed. “I got to do a lot of kissing and a lot of lying in bed with two beautiful men,” Hilson said jokingly. “The most difficult part was the emotional aspect of it — [understanding] the depth of Tiffanie’s feelings.”
The 38-year-old Hilson offered her opinion on sex before marriage. “Nope. Not realistic,” Hilson said. “I don’t think many people are doing that [waiting until marriage to have sex] but kudos to those that are,” said Hilson. “I hope that whatever it is you’re seeking out of doing it [waiting until marriage to have sex] or not [waiting], I hope it turns out exactly the way you’re expecting,” Hilson said. “I don’t know many people who have waited,” she added.
Hilson also said that, like her character, she has absolutely been tempted. “Temptation is a part of life,” she said. “You know there’s no man or woman walking this earth that’s not tempted. Maybe the frequency changes, but yeah, you’re not human if you’re not tempted by something at some point,” Hilson said.
The film based on the series of books by Victoria Christopher Murray — whose novels explore difficult personal and professional decisions from an African-American Christian perspective — also marks the debut as an executive producer for former “Access Hollywood” anchor and “90 Day Fiancé” host Shaun Robinson.
“When I first read ‘Lust’ several years ago, I was drawn to Tiffanie because she was somebody who was trying to live a life that she thought she was supposed to live,” Robinson said. “But she had these vulnerabilities about her that made her relatable, but also very empathetic,” she said.
Robinson praised Murray specifically for a solid base for the film. “She knows how to write characters that have many layers. You’re cheering for them at the same time you’re saying ‘Why are you doing that?’ So you get so emotionally involved in their lives,” she said. “In ‘Lust’ and in all of Victoria’s books, the heroine of our story, you go on this journey with her and you’re trying to be this friend and guide them in and give them advice in your head, but their journeys are remarkable,” Robinson praised.
Ms. Juicy, LeToya Luckett, and Clifton Powell also star in the film, which is produced by TD Jakes Enterprises and Big Dreams Entertainment. T.D. Jakes, Derrick Williams, Leslie Greif join Shaun Robinson as executive producers. Lust: A Seven Deadly Sins Story premieres at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Lifetime on April 10.
