Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Sony to Produce Queen Latifah Daytime Talk Show

By Allison Summers , Christian Post Reporter

October 31, 2011|4:09 pm

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith's Overbrook Entertainment and Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit have announced that they will partnering with Sony Pictures Television to produce a talk show scheduled to air in the fall of 2013 that will feature Latifah as host, various media sources are reporting.

"We've had a long and successful history both personally and professionally with Overbrook's Miguel, JL, Jada and Will," said co-founder of Flavor Unit Shakim Compere, according to Deadline.com. "We share a common vision and have been wanting to collaborate for quite some time."

Latifah, Will Smith and Jada-Pinkett Smith share a history together in show business. One of Latifah's first roles was in the hit television show that skyrocketed Will's career, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and she starred opposite Jada in the 1996 movie "Set it Off."

"We are excited to join forces with Latifah and as well as Sony Pictures TV on this new venture," said Overbrook's Miguel Melendez. "This forum is the perfect place to showcase Latifah's tremendous range of talents and unique ability to connect and inspire people."

Latifah is no stranger to the daytime talk show world, as she hosted her first show in 1999 called the "Queen Latifah Show," which ran for two seasons. Flavor Unit has also produced two shows this year that have been renewed for second seasons, one entitled "Let's Stay Together" on BET and another called "Single Ladies" on VH1.

Overbrook Entertainment is credited with films such as "Wild Wild West," "I, Robot" and "The Karate Kid."

Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith have been making headlines for the past few months because of rumors that the couple was splitting up, which both individuals have strongly denied. Just recently, new allegations surfaced that the divorce rumors were started by Smith and his wife as a ploy to bolster the ratings of Jada's failing show, "Hawthorne," which was canceled by TNT shortly after the rumors began.

Star magazine reported that not only may the rumors have been started because of "Hawthorne," but also because "Jada's been complaining that she and Will are starting to look like the Brady Bunch, with all the kids stepping into the spotlight," and that she feels the public views her relationship with Will as "too family-friendly" and "too boring."