Jamila Hunter, ABC’s senior vice president of comedy development, is leaving the network to join Kenya Barris at Netflix.
Hunter will join Barris’ production company, Khalabo Ink Society, as president of television, according to Variety. The move comes after Barris’ departure from ABC earlier this year.
Barris is excited to have Hunter join his team, saying in a statement, “Jamila has always understood my vision as a storyteller — and that was evident when she bought Black-ish in the room five years ago. She’s continued to be a champion of the work every day since that meeting, and I couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to reunite with her in this chapter of Khalabo Ink Society. I consider her not only a personal friend, but a professional ally and someone I truly believe has one of the greatest taste meters in town.”
The Black-ish showrunner inked an eight-figure deal with Netflix following his departure from ABC. His decision to leave came after ABC shelved an episode of the hit series, which took shots at the NFL and the recent controversy over the organization’s stance on athletes protesting the national anthem.
At Netflix, Barris is set to focus on projects “that reflect culture through an urban, youth and female-focused lens.”
