Vivica A. Fox To Direct ‘The First Lady Of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story’ For BET+; Written By Gabrielle Collins

Vivica A. Fox

BET+ has announced that they will be releasing a new biopic inspired by the life of Tonesa Welch, titled The First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story. Welch, also known as the First Lady of the Black Mafia Family (BMF) crime family, gained prominence in Detroit as a drug dealer and eventually earned the nickname "The First Lady of BMF" from federal prosecutors. The biopic will follow her rise in the crime world as a teen mother and how she used her craftiness, creativity, hustle, and hard work to build a life for herself in the drug world.

Vivica A. Fox will be directing the biopic from a script by Gabrielle Collins, with Judge Greg Mathis and Tressa Azarel Smallwood executive producing. The project was inspired by the character of Markisha Taylor, played by La La Anthony, on the Starz series BMF. Welch's story was first brought to light in BET+'s docuseries American Gangster: Trap Queens.

Tonesa Welch

The biopic will be Welch's opportunity to tell her story the way she sees fit, as she is currently unhappy with how the BMF character inspired by her represents her as a person. Welch has criticized the show for portraying Markisha as a woman who is in a relationship with a teenage Terry Flenory, who is still in high school in the current storyline. She and fans of the show have called the character a predator, while rapper and BMF actress Kash Doll defended Anthony's portrayal.

The First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story will be executive produced by Smallwood, Mathis, Donte Lee, and Delece James. Production on the film is set to begin in April in Washington D.C., and it is expected to debut on the streaming service in late 2023. Welch's story is sure to captivate audiences with its themes of riches, remorse, personal responsibility, and redemption set amidst the lavishness and extreme violence of Detroit's crack era and America's "war on drugs."