All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The first trailer for acclaimed director Lee Daniels' upcoming biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday is here and Andra Day is absolutely breathtaking as the legendary bisexual jazz singer.
The film follows Holiday as she finds success, deals with addiction and personal struggles, and gets involved with the US Civil Rights movement all while being one of the greatest singers of all time. We see her triumphant on stage and in beautiful gowns designed by Prada, but we also see her at her lowest, struggling with addiction and spending time in prison.
Thankfully, the film seems to also touch on her bisexuality, as we see her spending time with actress Tallulah Bankhead, one of Holiday's real life lovers, played by Natasha Lyonne. Bankhead was notably also portrayed in Netflix's Hollywood by Ryan Murphy.
In the trailer we see Bankhead and Holiday enter a jewelry store where Bankhead asks the person working at the counter, "don't you know who this is?"
The trailer largely revolves around Holiday singing her classic "Strange Fruit," a hauntingly beautiful song about the lynching of Black people. At the time, the US government saw the song as radical and potentially dangerous.
"Before there was a Civil Rights movement, there was Billie Holiday and 'Strange Fruit,'" Daniels said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "The government saw that song as a threat and she was a target. That's history and they keep it from us." The film also features Miss Lawrence as well as Moonlight actor Trevante Rhodes.
While previous movies about the jazz legend have been made, it will be exciting to see a gay director get to tell the story. Holiday's queerness and involvement in the civil rights movement were important parts of her life and its long past due time we celebrate them.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday will debut in February on Hulu. Watch the trailer below.
RELATED: Lee Daniels To Make Movie With Heel-Wearing, Backflipping Sensation
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
'Bros' Star Ryan Faucett Shows Off His Package, Just in Time for the Holidays
Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson & Jeremy Allen White Are Muscle Hunks in New 'Iron Claw' Pic
Let's Relive All of Jason Mraz's Epic 'Dancing With the Stars' Performances
​Lee Pace Is Showing Off All of His 'Foundation' Muscles In This New Training Video​
​Lady Bunny Is Throwing Shade & Taking Names in Her Hilarious New Christmas Special​
Lee Pace Shared BTS 'Foundation' Pics That Prove He's Still THE Intergalactic Space Daddy
Matt Bomer Has No Regrets When It Comes to Passing on the Ken Role in 'Barbie'
Even After 5 'Drag Race' Auditions, Shea Couleé Was Determined to Become a Legend
Troye Sivan Is Man of the Year, Says He's More In Touch With His Femininity Than Ever
Trending stories
Most Recent
Recommended Stories for You
Mey Rude
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.