Is ‘Black Girl Missing’ on Lifetime Based On a True Story?

Lifetime’s latest ripped from the headlines feature is Black Girl Missing, a film from executive producer and actor Gracelle Beauvais. That’s right — this Real Housewife of Beverly Hills is back in front of the camera as an actor once more, and it’s in a role that she is especially passionate about. Beauvais plays a mother desperately trying to find her missing daughter Lauren (Iyana Halley), and the biggest obstacle in her way isn’t a sadistic kidnapper; it’s the police and news media.

Unlike most Saturday night Lifetime movies, Black Girl Missing is actually inspired by the headlines that don’t get written, headlines that are disproportionately about missing women of color. In her quest to find her daughter, Beauvais’ character goes up against a detective (Nick Thune) that doesn’t care enough to try and a news director (William Mapother) devoting all his coverage to a missing white girl because it’s bringing in ratings.

So how true is Black Girl Missing? We know that Black Girl Missing is based on a too real phenomenon, but is Cheryl and Lauren’s story based on a real missing persons case?

Is Black Girl Missing based on a true story?

No, Black Girl Missing is not based on a true story — or rather, it’s not based on one true story. As the filmmakers explain via text on screen before the movie begins, Black Girl Missing was “inspired by actual stories of missing women of color. The characters and events depicted in this motion picture are fictional. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.” So while the specific story is not a beat-for-beat recreation of something that actually happened, Black Girl Missing is still a story that happens all too often.

In an interview with Black Girl Nerds, star and EP Gracelle Beauvais spoke about how her lived experience impacted her decision to get involved with the film.

“Kale Futterman, one of the writers and producers of the movie, came to me and said she had a story and wanted to see how I felt about it,” said Beauvais. “Before she even finished telling me, the first idea of the premise, I said I was in. It’s a no-brainer. I’m so frustrated when people ask me how I got ready for this role. One, I’m a mother. Two, the frustration of us never being seen enough was all I needed. I think so many times the headlines are not about us. When we got together with the Black and Missing Foundation, it became even more profound that this needed to happen. We went to pitch it to Lifetime, and I have to give them credit because they were like, ‘We get it. Let’s do it.'”

Are the Net Sleuths real?

The Net Sleuths, the organization that Cheryl’s daughter Marley turns to to help find her missing sister, is not a real organization nor is it a real website.

Is the Black and Missing Foundation real?

Yes, the Black and Missing Foundation is very real. The foundation was formed in 2008 by Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson as a resource for families of color trying to deal with the police and media in regards to a missing loved one. The Lifetime film is also not the first time that the Black and Missing Foundation has partnered with a network. A four-part HBO docu-series called Black and Missing was released back in 2021.

You can also follow the Black and Missing Foundation on Twitter at @BAM_FI and on Instagram at @blackandmissingfdn.

Who are the missing women featured in Black Girl Missing?

A number of missing women are mentioned by name in the film, and they are all the names of real women who are really missing. If you want to know more information about them, you can find their profiles on the Black and Missing Foundation website linked below.

• Relisha Rudd
• Allyssa Jennings
• Nia Glenn-Lopez
• Mya Barnes
• Keir Johnson
• Jaya Allen
• Starletta Henderson

Black Girl Missing premieres on Lifetime on Saturday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET