Known for her intense roles and meaningful portrayals of complex characters, Gabourey Sidibe once again hits the small screen to take on a character that will tug on your emotions. This time, the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee will star in Lifetime’s new drama, Give Me Back My Daughter. Keep reading to discover everything we know so far about the upcoming film.
Gabourey Sidibe to star in new Lifetime movie
On March 5, Lifetime revealed details for its next drama, Give Me Back My Daughter, including news that Sidibe stars as Renee, a single mother struggling to make ends meet. After a tough decision, she ends up losing custody of her daughter. The film will premiere on April 5, 2025, at 8 p.m. and we’ve got all the details about the movie from other cast members to plot and more.
Everything we know so far about ‘Give Me Back My Daughter’
While the film isn’t listed on IMDB or discussed on social media, Lifetime has shared plot points, cast members and crew tidbits.
What is ‘Give Me Back My Daughter’ about?
With Kelly Kali as the director, Swirl Film Studios for Lifetime is the driving force behind bringing this movie to life.
Lifetime shares, “Give Me Back My Daughter tells the story of Renee (Sidibe) and her daughter, Imani (Cadence Reese), who are left homeless after Renee loses her job and they are evicted from their home. Determined to stay independent, Renee refuses any public assistance. Still, her desperation leads to a difficult decision: leaving her daughter in the car during a job interview, which results in her arrest and Imani being taken by Child Protective Services. As Renee navigates family court, she discovers the support of those around her and comes to understand that she can’t do it all on her own. With the help of new friends, she starts to see a glimmer of hope in her situation and remains steadfast in her determination to do whatever it takes to be reunited with her daughter.”
Who else is involved in the production?
Walnette Santiago, Sean Anthony Baker, and Myles Truitt also star alongside Sidibe and Reese in the film. Leslie Greif, Jason Egenberg, Eric Tomosunas and Ron Robinson serve as executive producers, and Xavier Burgin wrote the script.
Lifetime is known for its storytelling and continues to illuminate social issues with this new drama and original film.
What Gabourey Sidibe is up to lately
In addition to starring in this upcoming movie, Sidibe is embracing her new role as a mom to twins. The actress announced her pregnancy in February 2024 and gave birth to a girl named Maya and a boy named Cooper in April.
“Brandon (Sidibe’s husband) always wanted to name a son Cooper, so we can call him ‘Coop,’” Gabourey told The Shade Room in June 2024, “and Maya was named shortly before our baby moon to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. Both twins have traditional West African middle names after members of my family.”
When it comes to acting, she also tried voice acting, playing Francis in StuGo, the animated TV series on Disney XD. Sidibe’s last TV movie was 2022, a holiday film that aired on VH1. That same year, she also starred in season three of American Horror Story.
