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Starz is developing a limited series based on the life of Cyntoia Brown Long, a sex trafficking victim who was convicted of murder as a minor and later had her sentence commuted.
Power franchise executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and La La Anthony, who has been a long-time supporter of Brown-Long's cause, will executive produce the drama, titled The Case of Cyntoia Brown. Santa Sierra (Power Book III, Vida) will write and executive produce, and Brown Long and her husband, Jamie Long, will consult.
"We're honored to be entrusted with Cyntoia's story, which shines a light on the injustice of a system that tried and sentenced an at-risk minor as an adult when she was a victim herself of sex trafficking," said Christina Davis, president of original programming at Starz. "This limited series from Curtis, La La and Santa chronicles Cyntoia's long journey to freedom and furthers our #TakeTheLead programming mandate centered on narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences."
The limited series will trace Brown Long's life beginning when she was a teenager and sex-trafficked by a boyfriend. At age 16, she was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery for killing a man who paid to have sex with her. She maintained it was an act of self-defense but was sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole until she was 67.
While in prison, Brown Long earned associate's and bachelor's degrees and served as a mentor to at-risk kids. She continued to advocate for her release, and her case attracted high-profile support from the likes of Anthony, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian West and Rihanna. She was granted clemency and released in 2019.
The potential series is based on Brown Long's memoir, Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System. The series is being developed through Jackson's G Unit Film and Television, which has a rich overall deal with Starz.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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