Words by Amir Shaw
Photography by: DeWayne Rogers
Styled by: Kris Cole
Makeup by: Jeremy Dell
Hair by: Rikya Taylor
Being a teenage star can be a gift and a curse. The national exposure can catapult a career into the stratosphere, but there is always the risk of being restricted when it comes to delving into mature art.
Adrienne Bailon started her career as a teenager in the group 3LW and eventually garnered success with the Disney franchise, The Cheetah Girls.
However, Bailon knew that it was time to make a change when she found herself still portraying a teenager in her mid-20s.
“I was a 26-year-old and still playing a 15-year-old,” Bailon said during an interview with rolling out in Atlanta. “I think The Cheetah Girls was originally supposed to be one film, but then it became two and three, which was a huge deal. But like all Disney franchises, they have to come to an end at some point. I was so grateful we went out with a bang. I think we died off peacefully.”
Bailon is transitioning into more adult themes with her latest project. She stars as the lead alongside Ja Rule in the new film, I’m in Love with a Church Girl. “The film is actually based on the true-life story of the project’s writer, Galley Molina,” she said. “I think the biggest message in this movie is that your past does not determine your future. I think it has such a great message of hope, especially for people right now who feel hopeless — that feel they have done so much wrong. God wants you to come as you are. He can turn your life around.”
Bailon continues to position herself as an entertainer and a brand. Along with her work in film, she has dabbled in TV media with the talk show “The Real”; owns a nail polish line called Fingertip Fetish; and she is in the process of releasing a solo album. She’s currently in the studio with Ne-Yo and other prominent producers and songwriters.
