Entertainment
Friends — I don't want to get all sappy, but I'm going to need you to get on the Regina Louise train right-the-heck-now. Lifetime recently picked up Louise's incredible true story and adapted it into a film surely made to get your TVs to cry real tears. I Am Somebody's Child tackles the foster care system through the lens of a young girl who's been in over 30 of them. Trust me when I say, you'll want to see pictures of Regina Louise now to see the magnificent woman she's become, despite the challenges she was faced with in her adolescence.
Though I Am Somebody's Child is based on Louise's true story which she described in her memoir, Somebody's Someone, it's a fictional account, starring Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time) and newcomer — fellow foster child herself — Angela Fairley. Louise isn't an actress, but a motivational speaker and coach who's dedicated her life to telling her story to inspire and encourage kids in similar situations.
If you're late to the Lifetime party, I Am Somebody's Child follows a young black girl (Fairley) after her father abandons her to pursue a career in music. She's then thrust into the foster care system, and navigates over 30 foster homes and psychiatric facilities — all before she turns 18. Of all the foster parents, Louise comes across one woman, Jeanne Kerr (Goodwin), who not only believes in her, but wants to adopt Louise. After a racist ruling that split the two, both went their separate ways. While Kerr eventually married and had a child, Louise put herself through college on scholarship, wrote her memoir, and began touring the nation with her story. Because of her sudden public presence, Kerr (who'd married and became Taylor) sought out Louise via email. The pair reconnected and 25 years after the initial ruling, Louise was adopted in the same courthouse that previously denied them.
So now you need to see pictures of Regina Louise now (and check her out on Instagram while you're at it), so you know what the face of strength and perseverance looks like. Because it's pretty darn beautiful.
She's Inspired By Her Own Journey (As She Should Be)
The caption reads: "Me watching the promo for the biopic of my little life story... Oh...My...God..."
Louise previously said in an interview with Agate Publishing how surreal it was watching the filming of I Am Somebody's Child. "One particular scene that stands out from filming is when Jeanne (Goodwin) is teaching Regina (Fairley) to swim for the first time. The scene is charged with the tensions of the times — racism, discrimination, and outright disdain for these two human beings moving forward with love — and it was difficult to recall the soul-wounding and psychic injury the behavior of others impressed on me as a child."
She Advocates For Those In Foster Care
In a short clip posted to her page, Louise talks about not knowing what a mother was until the age of nine. For a couple of "crazy years," she went back and forth between her "mother" and "father," before turning herself into the custody of the state. Talk about heartbreaking.
She's The Literal Image Of Strength
The caption reads: "#Feeling Groovy| #losangeles." and I couldn't agree more. This is a woman who stands tall in the face of fear; a woman who sets the example for those kids in the same vicious foster care cycles who think it can never get any better. Louise is definitive proof — it can.
She Doesn't Even Need A Caption
I don't want to dilute the beauty of this photo with my words so I'll just leave it right here.
She Stands Besides Queens, Not Realizing She Is One
Even though she's a hero, she still gets starstruck like the rest of the world — just look at this adorable selfie with Loni Love. Two queens, one picture? What more could you ask for?
But seriously. Prepare yourself for I Am Somebody's Child because it's gonna wreck you in the best way possible.
