Sonya's SpotLight Celebrity News Reviews and Interviews

- Beautiful, outspoken actress and former First Lady of the Turks and Caicos returns to Hollywood to rebuild her life, filled with unexpected events and interesting characters, including celebrity friends like Jamie Foxx, Laila Ali, and Rev. Al Sharpton -

She's got the face of a goddess, the bearing of a diva - and she's edgy, blunt, soft and sophisticated all at once. LisaRaye, the beautiful, outspoken star of film and television and former First Lady of the Turks and Caicos, is moving forward with her new life, and the unvarnished journey is captured in her new TV One reality series, LisaRaye: The Real McCoy, slated to premiere Thursday, April 8 with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 9:30 PM ET.

Filmed in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, DC, the new reality series follows the star of TV One's All of Us as she works to fully re-establish her critically acclaimed acting career, while balancing a far-flung and complex personal life.

The chic and elegant lady, usually dressed in her trademark white, came to Los Angeles from her native Chicago more than a decade ago. She got a taste of stardom and strong reviews in Ice Cube's The Players Club, then later starring roles in The Wood, Civil Brand and other films. More TV and film roles for LisaRaye followed, including the role of Neesee in the popular sitcom All of Us.

It wasn't until LisaRaye married the Premier of the Turks & Caicos in 2006, however, that she went from living a charmed Hollywood life to the life of a princess... or, rather, the First Lady of a nation. There were mansions, private jets and visits with the Queen of England. There were butlers, maids, servants and, while she never completely gave up the Hollywood casting calls, she had duties to perform as First Lady. But in an instant it was over. Rumors of infidelity and allegations of illegal behavior swirled around her husband and brought trouble to paradise. Confusion, pain and tears followed. . . and now there is no marriage, no private jet... and no starring role. . .but LisaRaye is not one to look back, or sit back and feel sorry for herself.

"I'm a very optimistic person, and I'm willing to fight for what I want and what I believe in," said LisaRaye. "I've had a lot of blessings in my life, but I've gone through a tough couple of years. "This series will give viewers a glimpse of my often hectic and crazy life, and some of the many steps I've been taking to get my life and career back on track. I'm also hoping in some small way that it will serve as an inspiration, especially to women, that when life - or your man -- gets you down, you have to get right back up again and fight for the life you deserve."

In this riveting reality series, TV One viewers will follow LisaRaye on her journey as she reclaims the life and lifestyle she so loves. In addition to focusing on her acting career, she's got to help her 19-year-old daughter Kai deal with the challenges of transitioning to adulthood; keep her incarcerated sister, the rapper Da Brat, in line; and take care of her ailing mother while tending to her own personal life and perhaps looking for a little romance along the way.

In addition to the lady in white, her daughter Kai and her assistant Quincy, the series is replete with an eclectic array of interesting characters, not to mention celebrities, including Jamie Foxx, Rev. Al Sharpton, Laila Ali, actor/comedian Tony Rock, rapper Lil Jon, music producer Jazzy Phe, director Bille Woodruff, fashion designer Sue Wong, LisaRaye's stylist Joe eXclusive, and Sister2Sister Magazine editor Jamie Foster Brown.

From a foray on the fashion runway to a black rodeo relay race to a virgin skydiving adventure, viewers will always be surprised at where they may find LisaRaye, whose zest for life is as irrepressible as her reputation for telling it like it is. One thing is for sure: viewers can always expect the unexpected, because that's the real McCoy.

The half-hour, eight-episode series will repeat Thursdays at midnight, Sundays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 3 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m., Mondays at noon, and Wednesdays at 4 a.m. (all times ET). The prior week's episode will also repeat immediately following the premiere each week Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. ET.