Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Omniscient's POV
Today marks the official start of the promotional rollout for The Color Purple, with an Essence Magazine shoot spotlighting the majority of the female cast with Oprah included, Halle Bailey excluded due to her having prior engagements. Taraji had already gone through hair and makeup, and now she was with the creative director and the photographer, collaborating with them to find a dress amongst the racks that would perfectly compliment her and gel seamlessly with the aesthetic of the shoot. She was acting so professionally and poised, nobody would have known just by looking at her that she was battling aggressive demons and trying to weather the storm raging in her mind. She was running on a Redbull and only about 2 hours of sleep because she had spent almost the entire night thinking about Tempest. She wondered what she was doing and if she was somewhere safe. She said that she would go to a hotel, but how long was she planning to stay there? Was she going to be safe from her crazy, abusive ex? Did she have enough subscribers on OnlyFans to financially support herself? Taraji couldn't explain why, but she felt responsible for Tempest. That was just the Virgo in her, always helpful and kind while overthinking everything.
The creative director and photographer settled on an off-the-shoulder Vera Wang evening gown that was elevated by a jade choker and Taraji's elegant-messy updo. She looked stunning, and everybody took notice, but nobody was staring harder than Fantasia. Looking breathtakingly beautiful herself in a sparkly, one-shoulder black Laquan Smith dress accessorized with black leather gloves, she showed no shame as she practically drooled over Taraji from across the room. She wanted so badly to touch her, but she knew that it wasn't the time nor was it the place. From all the way across the room she could see how mentally preoccupied Taraji was, and she wished that she could go into her head and steal all her thoughts from her just so that she could have a moment of peace. Danielle noticed, too, smoothing out the bottom portion of her Stella McCartney ball gown with a keyhole chest as she looked at Taraji with concern in her expressive brown eyes.
Danielle: Is T ok? She looks distracted. Are you guys good?
Fantasia: She had a rough night. She found out some very shocking and unsettling news, and she's still trying to make sense of it in her head.
Danielle: What happened? Is she comfortable with me knowing? If not, I totally understand. I just want to know if there's anything I can do.
Before Fantasia could respond to Danielle's sincere show of support, Oprah came slithering around with her ears wide open and her mouth locked and loaded like a gun, the bullets being her manipulative threats that she had no qualms with firing at anybody and everybody who undermined her.
Oprah: Whatever is going on with her, she better not let it affect this shoot. It's always something with that girl.
