Welcome to Retro Rewind, the TGJ original feature carved out to take our readers on an exciting and informative journey to the past.
Today, after fans of the singer Michel’le tuned in in their millions to learn of the abuse she is said to have suffered at the hands of Dr. Dre via her Lifetime biopic, we return to 1993 to shed fresh light on ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It? (The Tina Turner Story).’
In it, viewers are taken beyond and behind the velvet rope to witness the life Tina Turner lived away from the spotlight.
A life, unbeknownst to the world at the time, was filled to the brim with cruel and sadistic abuse dished out to her by her husband Ike Turner.
Directed by Brian Gibson the movie saw Angela Bassett portray Turner and Lawrence Fishbourne take on Ike who pulled from the singer’s book ‘I, Tina’ to tell her story.
In the United States, the release earned over $40 million at the box office and additional $20 million from movie rental services as it generated £10 million in the United Kingdom despite coming under criticism for fabricating incidents that did not actually occur in real life.
One of these was the now infamous “Eat the Cake Anna Mae” scene in which the abusive Ike forces Tina’s face into a cake.
In reality, according to the star’s book, he forced her to eat the cake (sans slamming her face into it) after it was served to her by a waitress despite the fact that she did not order it.
Ready to take that journey to the past?
‘What’s Love’ waits below…
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Iconic! I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Bassett in person. She does NOT age and she was so nice and sweet.
“Oh Ike, I’m sorry Ike, am I late for rehearsal? Bytttch, you keep being late….” Gets me every time.lol
Great film. I know they stretched the truth, but if even 1/10th of what happened to Tina in the movie was real, it is still pretty horrific.
They were both nominated for oscars and they both lost. A crying shame. Sad thing is that no talks about the actors they lost too but 23 years later they still talk about this film.
One of THEE most compelling performances by an acting duo on film of the last 30 years, tbh. Angela played the hell out of her role and even got the details right down to Tina’s toned shape (remember her arms in the movie?). Lawrence was great too and even though he played the villain, he gave Ike a lil’ bit of humanity even if it was for a fleeting moment. Yes, a number of events were exaggerated but it realy showed how life isn’t always a bed of roses because you are rich and famous. The scene that really gets me is when she runs to a nearby motel after a fight with Ike and begs the manager for a room. Lawd, I cry just thinking about it! I’ve always felt that if the odds were truly in Angela’s favor on Oscar night 1994, she would’ve been the one to make history as the first African American actress to win a Best Actress Academy Award because she truly deserved it. Not to say Halle didn’t deserve that honor in 2002 but in a lot of people’s hearts and minds, Angela is one of the premier actressee of her generation – right up there with Jodie Foster and others.
Wow amazing