Straight Outta Compton chronicled NWA’s tumultuous rise to the top, but the film also glossed over a key element during that time: Dr. Dre’s abuse of former fiancée Michel’le Toussaint. Now, Lifetime looks to address the issue with their new film Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge, & Michel’le, NY Mag reported. The film will center on Michel’le, who was the first female signed to the group’s Ruthless Records, and her violent relationship with Dre and Suge Knight (whom she married later on).
Michel’le (who recently starred in the VH1 reality series R&B Divas) has been pretty open about the abuse she suffered, even telling hip hop-based radio show The Breakfast Club that Dre had given her five black eyes. She also said Suge dislodged her jaw at one point. Mentioning said incidents in the film would have painted him as a less sympathetic character, but it would also be the truth. Plus, this wouldn’t be the first time he assaulted a woman. According to reports, he bashed journalist Dee Barnes’ head against a wall during a release party and then defended his actions.
“People talk all this shit, but you know, somebody fucks with me, I’m gonna fuck with them. I just did it, you know. Ain’t nothing you can do now by talking about it. Besides, it ain’t no big thing – I just threw her through a door,” he said in a 1991 interview with Rolling Stone, per Gawker.
It’s unclear whether or not that moment will also be featured in the film, but expect to see a more realistic portrayal of the hip-hop mogul. The Lifetime event stars Rhyon Nicole Brown as Michel’le, Curtis Hamilton as Dre and R. Marcos Taylor reprising his Straight Outta Compton role as Suge. It heads to television this October.
(via NY Mag, image via screencap)
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