Lifetime announces Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story, a Ripped from the Headlines movie based on the memoir by Monique Smith, who endured a horrific childhood only to discover that her family wasn’t actually hers. Yaya DaCosta (The Lincoln Lawyer, Chicago Med) stars in and executive produces the film, premiering Saturday, April 12 @ 8PM/7c.
From a young age, Monique Smith always felt out of place in her family. Living in constant fear of abuse from her mother and others, she dreamed of finding people who loved her and a place that truly felt like a home. Because of the abuse she suffered, she felt she could never embrace her family and especially wanted to know her origin story once she became a mother herself. After realizing she didn’t have proper documentation, including a birth certificate or social security card, she goes on a decades-long search to discover who she really is. Monique began questioning her family members, submitting her DNA for biological matches and looking everywhere for an answer to her biggest questions; who she is, and is there anyone out there looking for her?
Robert Hamilton III, Solace Kimbro Jones, Kadeem Isaiah, Morgan-Rose Jordan and DaCosta’s real-life sister, Djassi DaCosta Johnson also stars.
Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story is produced by Undaunted Content in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment. D’Angela Proctor serves as executive producer for Undaunted Content. Yaya DaCosta serves as executive producer. Richard Foster and Chet Fenster are executive producers for GroupM Motion Entertainment. Tailiah Breon directs from a script written by Sylvia Jones.
Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story, Ripped from the Headlines, Monique Smith, horrific childhood
