Keyshia Cole Relives Late Mother Frankie Lons' 'troubled life' in New Biopic: "My Way of Making Peace"
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of drug abuse that some readers may find distressing.
American R&B singer Keyshia Cole is making her acting debut with her lifetime biopic, Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story. Through this new biopic, Cole revealed that she wants to remember her late mother, Frankie Lons, and pay tribute to her. In an emotional exclusive with People, the I Remember singer said she is ready to "open up" to her fans and the audience about the "troubled life" she shared with her mother Frankie Lons. Cole's mother struggled with drug addiction until her death. She died of an accidental fentanyl overdose on her 61st birthday, July 18, 2021. Cole said, “I’ve never blamed my mom for what I’ve gone through, I just survived it and was made better for it.”
In the exclusive with People, Cole explained, “This is like my way of making peace with a lot of things. I was able to relive those moments and make peace with it all. That was my goal.” Another goal, she believes, is the hope that the movie "helps people.” The film highlights Cole’s childhood in Oakland, California, where she lived in foster care and often had to look after her mom, Lons, who was living on the streets at the time due to drug addiction. The biopic then follows Cole's success journey as a singer and also chronicles her mother's addiction struggles.
The singer revealed she initially wasn't ready to show the world her mom's condition. She explained, "Part of me was like, ‘I don’t want to show her in that way'. But she had fans as well and I thought it would be kind of selfish at this point. And there’s a lot of great things about my mom that they have never seen. She was always joking or always going crazy, one or the other."
The Heaven Sent songstress shared that she almost had "an anxiety attack" at the film’s screening on June 21 and that her "heart was heavy with grief" over the loss of her loved ones. Cole lost her father Leon Cole Jr. to COVID-19, and her dog Lola passed away shortly after her mother’s sudden death.
Cole said of her mother, “A lot of the moments felt like she was there. I felt I was able to tell my mom goodbye because I didn’t get to tell my mom goodbye. In an eerie way, I was able to speak with my mom. Maybe she could hear it.” She recalls one poignant scene in the film where Lons tells her, “There are two Frankies, the Frankie I want to be and the Frankie I’ve always been.” About this, Cole said, “We had those conversations all the time. I tried my best not to judge her. She’d say, ‘You always did right by me, never made me feel unloved because of my addiction.’ ”
Cole said that she believes her mom is finally at peace, and she has recorded a new track to honor Lons through the film. The new song will be released soon, the songstress explained: “She believed in God, in Jesus Christ. I believe that she is okay. I’ve had dreams about her. In one [dream] right after she passed, she came outside and then she told me she had to go back inside. I’ve had a few of those dreams where she laughed and looked healthy.”
If you are struggling with substance abuse or know anyone who is please contact the SAMHSA helpline or call 1800-662-HELP (4357). If you're struggling to cope with grief, and need help, please reach out to Crisis Response at 1-800-203-CARE (2273).
