Kelly Rowland’s new film Merry Liddle Christmas is inspired by a true story of doing too much gone wrong. The singer, actress, and newly minted producer stopped by ESSENCE’s “Yes, Girl!” podcast to tell hosts Cori Murray and Charli Penn about the real-life holiday celebration that birthed her new movie.
“Yes it was, inspired by a true story,” said Rowland on her movie, premiering November 30th on Lifetime.
“We had the family in town two years ago, [and invited them] into our new home for Christmas. I was like, ‘It’s going to be so special if we have our family come in.’ My husband’s like, ‘No, it’s not.’ He’s like, ‘Let’s just wait, have them here the next year.’ I was like, ‘No, I want to do it.’ He’s like, ‘Nope, not a good idea,'” recalled Rowland. “I have them anyway.”
Rowland continues: “They come in and one catastrophe at a time happens. My chairs that were once beige, [now they have] red and green dye from just decorating Christmas cookies. And, God, I’m going to get into trouble for this,” she with a laugh at the memory. “They cook, they cook. But they also burnt all our pans. The food was amazing, but our pans have never been the same.”
The “Motivation” singer shared that while the spirit of Merry Liddle Christmas reflects her experience, she didn’t share every detail of the disaster. “Well, we had to change some things. I still want to be in good graces with my family.”
Luckily for Lifetime lovers Rowland’s hubby, Tim Weatherspoon (who serves as the film’s executive producer) was right: that Christmas was the inspiration for the perfect holiday movie. “And as I’m explaining it to a friend of mine, she’s like, ‘Girl, you need to make this a movie.’”
“I have a conversation with Tanya Lopez over at Lifetime and she says, ‘You’re going to make this a movie. You’re going to do it here with us at Lifetime, and you’re going to put it out next year,'” said Rowland. “I was like, “Wait, what?” And it literally happened within the snap of my fingers, but I’m so happy that as women we’re able to push each other into opportunities. So, I’m really grateful.”
Hear what else Rowland is grateful for on “Yes, Girl!'” podcast, available now.