As a late addition to the ESSENCE Fest 2025 lineup, it was announced on Tuesday (July 1) that Adam Blackstone was curating a ...

Today, Angela Bassett remains active in Hollywood, starring as “Athena Grant-Nash” on the hit show “9-1-1” and appearing in ...

But when “Waiting to Exhale” opened two decades ago (Dec. 22, 1995), the movie not only became a breakout success but also touched a cultural nerve with an underserved audience.

Related: 'Waiting to Exhale' Throwback Premiere Photos The movie, directed by Forest Whitaker and based on the novel by Terry McMillan, follows four Black women as they navigate love and life.

EXCLUSIVE: ABC has given a script commitment with penalty to Waiting To Exhale, a drama series followup to the 1995 film, from Lee Daniels (Empire) and 20th Television, where Daniels is under a deal.

“Waiting to Exhale” earned $81.5 million internationally. Part of its success was not only the cast and screenplay but actor Forest Whitaker, who made his feature directorial debut with the film.