Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story Will Premiere Tonight At 7pm ET/6pm CT On TV One

Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story will premiere Tonight at 7pm ET/6pm CT / Encore presentation at 9 p.m. ET. Teyonah Parris will play the title role, featuring a special cameo appearance from Grammy Award-nominated R&B songstress Miki Howard, herself. The film is the network's first-ever bio-pic and will feature a star-studded ensemble cast opposite Parris, including Darius as Gerald Levert; Vanessa Bell Calloway as Miki's mother Josephine Howard; Gary Dourdan, as Augie Johnson; LisaRaye McCoy as Sylvia Rhone; and Amari Cheatom as Eddie Phelps.

Before topping Billboard's R&B charts, Miki Howard was a homeless teenager, estranged from her gospel singer mother and desperate for love, attention and success. Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story explores the complicated history of Howard's romantic relationship with R&B singer Gerald Levert, the disturbed relationship with her mother and her battles to overcome spousal abuse and drug addiction.

Parris found inspiration in playing the resilient R&B songstress. "I really wanted to be a part of this story because you watch someone go through so much," she stated. "Literally hit rock bottom not just once, a few times -- but pick themselves up and say 'that moment does not define who I am now and it won't define who I am in the future.'"

Howard is excited to have her story told as an original movie to encourage dialogue about important topics affecting women of color. "We need to have a conversation about many of the things that happened to me as a young woman coming up in show business and being an African-American woman," she shared. "I don't think we talk about enough things that are prevalent in our community, such as spousal abuse and trying to live up to expectations that are not our own."

For more information about TV One's Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story, visit the network's companion website at www.tvone.tv. TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hashtag #MikiHowardStory and catch clips and promos on TV One's YouTube Channel.

(Photo Credit: Courtesy of TV One/Front Page Firm)