Most of us The Color Purple fans remember actress, Desreta Jackson, who played the ‘young Celie’ in the 1985 classic, which starred some of the biggest African American stars in the game. Desreta was only around 14 years old at that time and what we didn’t know was how much her co-star Oprah Winfrey (“Miss Sophia”) did for her behind the scenes.

During a recent interview with California Soul TV, Desreta was asked to share some of her favorite memories about being on set of the Color Purple. While she admitted that she had “several of them,” it was the memories and experiences she shared with Oprah Winfrey on and off the set that set her life and personal development on the right track.

‘Oprah Was Very Protective Of Me’

On The Color Purple set, Desreta was oftentimes the only child. So she says Oprah became “very protective” of her and also like a “mother figure” to her. Oprah would have Desreta tag along around the set, so she could witness and learn, as Oprah did day to day business as well.

“We shot [Color Purple] in North Carolina and literally…there [were] no kids around, just the adults. Oprah became like this mother figure. She would just kinda be like, ‘Come here, follow me around,’ and she would be very protective of me,” said Desreta.

She said Oprah would always make sure to shelter her from certain people on set and to shield her from ‘certain things being said’ to her, or in front of her, that children should not be told, nor hear.

“She was really that kind of person, and I would sometimes take part in like, the same room while she’s doing business.”

But Oprah Later Went Above And Beyond For Desreta AFTER The Movie

What Oprah did for Desreta Jackson once filming was wrapped…

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“She Didn’t Stop”

“When I finished The Color Purple, and I went back home, she didn’t stop. …She would fly me out [to Chicago, where she was filming her talk show] and I would stay with her. … I’d stay in the bed with her. I’d just kinda lay down while she takes care of business and work and talk.”

‘I Do Th Same With My Kids Now’

DJ: “That was really influential to me as a child, kind of in my developmental years, because…to this day…I do that with my kids. Like, I make them come with me when I go to business [meetings], I make them sit around when I’m talking…because I realized how much it (Oprah’s help) helped made me see a frame of thinking. It made me realize more about business, without subconsciously knowing it. And I don’t know if Oprah did that purposely…whether it was conscious, or not conscious, but it definitely framed and helped part of my development mentally.”

But WAIT…There’s More…See What Oprah Did That Made Desreta Flip Out

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Deresta Flipped Out When Oprah Bought Her An Expensive Nightgown

DJ: “I love that she (Oprah) bought my first nightgown. When I flew out to her, she would take me shopping. … I remember the first nightgown she bought me was like $300 dollars, LOL…and ya, know- talking about a lil’ girl from the hood, I was like ‘You know how much I could buy with that?!!'”

What the former Color Purple Star Does Now

After The Color Purple hype wore down, Desreta says she quickly learned about the brainwashed, jacked up views that often exist in Hollywood when it comes to casting talent. Desreta admitted, in a prior interview with Onyx Truth, that she fell into the constant ridicules that plague many actresses – you’re too Black, you’re too fat, your nose is too wide, your curves are too round. After growing tired of the Hollywood scene, she decided to step away from the acting game and do other things that she loved.

She went to school and rekindled her business, that she’d been in professionally since the age of nine, which was the hair braiding business. She also had two children along the way, and when we fast forward today, she’s now the CEO of her own successful hair products brand, Black Silk Products. Innovate Health & Technology Breakthroughs has also acknowledged Desreta for her many contributions to the improvement in the health of African American hair & she’s also been dubbed the new ‘Madame C.J. Walker of the millennium.’

The post “Color Purple” ‘Celie’ Actress Tells What Co-Star Oprah Winfrey Did For Her As A Child appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

“The Color Purple” is a definitely cult classic film, that’ll always hold a special place in the hearts of millions. There were many memorable characters in the movie and one of the most memorable, was ‘young Celie’- the younger version of Whoopi Goldberg’s character. That role was played by the amazing actress, Desreta Jackson. During that time in 1985, she earned her title as a true force to be reckoned with in Hollywood game. Sadly, what this Queen endured in REAL life, after the film was released, brought us to tears. Shortly after ‘The Color Purple” was released Desreta was raped and the details she gave are heart-wrenching.

Background On Where She Was BEFORE The Tragedy & “Color Purple”

Desreta Jackson moved to the U.S. from her homeland, The Virgin Islands, with her Mother when she was 9 years old. They had no money and were living on the streets of Los Angeles, Ca. in a homeless section, called Skid Row.

Her Mom Did What Was Necessary To Make Ends Meet

Her Mom collected aluminum cans to make ends meet and after about two years on the street, her mother was eventually able to afford an apartment for them to live in.

Desreta Took Acting To Avoid Streets

Desreta took part in her school’s play and soon after that, her Mother decided to keep her out of getting involved with gang activity, by enrolling her in acting lessons. Soon after that, Desreta landed the part on The Color Purple and it was a huge success.

The Tragedy Happened Shortly After “Color Purple”

“I was still a kid, it was right after Color Purple came out. I was new to Hollywood and…new in a lot of ways and young. And…the rape was very traumatic, it was a very violent situation,” Desreta said through a cracked voice.

Her Post-Traumatic Stress Incidents: “I Was Discombobulated”

After being raped, Desreta was “discombobulated”:

“I was so messed up…just an example of how emotional it was for me- I would [take two buses to school] and I didn’t know that I didn’t have shoes on, or I never did my hair, or that I only put a shirt on that day [and no pants].”

Strangers On The Street Would Have To Help Her

Desreta continued:

“So I took two buses [to school] mesmerized, or something traumatic…and somebody would stop me and let me know like, ‘Hey…are you okay?!!’ I walked into school like THIS!”

“You’re Too Dark”

Despite her pain, Desreta auditioned for more acting roles, then faced ignorant rejection in Hollywood. She was told she was ‘too dark’ for the roles she wanted. That left her confused, because as a child she didn’t realize she would be seen as ‘different’ because of her ‘complexion.’ Then She Revealed Another Tragedy…

Molestation & More Rejection

Desreta wasn’t “processing” that Hollywood was “casting according to color” at that time. That rejection made her delve further into the emotional baggage of not only being raped, but she then revealed she was also molested.

‘My Mom Didn’t Know How To Handle It’

“My mother wasn’t quite the kind of mother that didn’t know how to handle things. So she kind of just ignored it. So when the rape happened….it was just me, as a child trying to figure out” how to deal with that type of trauma, says Desreta.

“I Quit Acting” But Found Something Else

Desreta says the emotional baggage from her rape and molestation combined with the rejection was too much to bear as a child. So she quit acting at that time, but then light began to shine for her….

Martial Arts & A Chance Meeting Saved Her

After being violated, Desreta stumbled across the founder of the Black Karate Federation at a local community center, who was teaching martial arts. Innately feeling the need to build her confidence and protect herself, she joined the organization

It’s A New Day!!!

Today Desreta is highly trained at martial arts and is still a part of the Black Karate Federation. She owns her own Black hair products line. She’s the mother of two beautiful children and happily married. She is also BACK in the acting game! Her talent is impeccable and we wish her the best!

The post “Color Purple” Actress Explains Devastating Ways Being Raped Later Affected Her Life appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

ILOSM fam’ we wanna share an interesting behind the scenes Old School fact that happened on the set of the 1985 cult classic, The Color Purple. This said fact comes by way of none other than ‘young Celie’ herself- actress, Desreta Jackson. We all remember her, right? She touched our hearts as we watched her character get psychologically and physically abused by her older husband, “Mister Albert” (Danny Glover). Well, little did we know at that time, Danny Glover made Desreta cry real tears in real life, during the filming of the movie and she broke it down for all of us…

Desreta Jackson Was Living With Struggles In Real Life & On Set

We Didn’t See This Coming And Apparently, Neither Did Desreta Jackson

In a lengthy online post, Desreta revealed that Danny Glover slapped the hell outta her while filming. She started with: “True [Film] Fact: Danny Glover slapped me for real in the scene where my sister, Nettie, was teaching me to spell.”

Her First Reaction To Danny Glover’s Slap Was Confusion, But Then

Desreta: “My reaction was laced with confusion because I didn’t know if I should stop or continue acting but then I remembered my training taught me to never stop the scene.”

Real Tears Started To Flow

Desreta’s confusion turned into sadness: “So I controlled my emotions and used it in the scene. Real tears started running down my face and I was really lost and sad as to why he would actually hit me.”

That’s when director, Steven Spielberg, jumped in…

Spielberg Yelled “Cut”…And Questioned Danny Glover

Desreta: “I carried on with the scene and when Steven [Spielberg]said cut he came up to Danny and asked him, “Did you hit her for real?”

Glover Sincerely Apologized To Desreta & Here’s Where They Are Now

DJ: “Yes, Danny [apologized]…I didn’t take it offensive it was part of the work and we are friends till this day.”

The post “Color Purple” Actress Reveals What Danny Glover Did To Her On Set That Made Her Cry appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Most of us The Color Purple fans remember actress, Desreta Jackson, who played the ‘young Celie’ in the 1985 classic, which starred some of the biggest African American stars in the game. Desreta was only around 14 years old at that time and what we didn’t know was how much her co-star Oprah Winfrey (“Miss Sophia”) did for her behind the scenes.

During a recent interview with California Soul TV, Desreta was asked to share some of her favorite memories about being on set of the Color Purple. While she admitted that she had “several of them,” it was the memories and experiences she shared with Oprah Winfrey on and off the set that set her life and personal development on the right track.
‘Oprah Was Very Protective Of Me’

On The Color Purple set, Desreta was oftentimes the only child. So she says Oprah became “very protective” of her and also like a “mother figure” to her. Oprah would have Desreta tag along around the set, so she could witness and learn, as Oprah did day to day business as well.

“We shot [Color Purple] in North Carolina and literally…there [were] no kids around, just the adults. Oprah became like this mother figure. She would just kinda be like, ‘Come here, follow me around,’ and she would be very protective of me,” said Desreta.

She said Oprah would always make sure to shelter her from certain people on set and to shield her from ‘certain things being said’ to her, or in front of her, that children should not be told, nor hear.

“She was really that kind of person, and I would sometimes take part in like, the same room while she’s doing business.”

But Oprah Later Went Above And Beyond For Desreta AFTER The Movie>>>

The post ‘Celie’ Actress Tells What “Color Purple” Co-Star Oprah Did For Her As A Child appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Before we get into that though, we need to mention how dynamic of an actress she was in the film. She did her thing in that movie and made us really believe what “Celie” was going through at the hands of “Mr. Albert” (Danny Glover). We felt sympathy for her when she was constantly viewed as being ugly, repeatedly raped by “Mr.”, had to give away her baby, and when her sister “Nettie” was taken away from her. The lasting impression she left on us is still just as strong as it was when we first saw the film.

Here’s the thing though, in the movie she was consistently dubbed as being “ugly,” but in REAL LIFE that is the farthest thing from the truth! Scroll down to see how she went from being “ugly Celie” to beautiful Desreta now…

Do you see her? Told you she was beautiful. Desreta is 43 years old now and she’s doing well for herself.

Here’s something that we’ve just learned about Desreta: Life wasn’t always peachy for her. She moved to the U.S. from her homeland, The Virgin Islands, with her Mother when she was 9 years old. They had no money, so they were living on the streets of Los Angeles, Ca. in a homeless section called Skid Row. Her Mom collected cans to make ends meet and after about 2 years on the street, her mother was eventually able to afford an apartment for them to live in. During that time, Desreta took part in her school’s play and soon after that, her mother decided to keep her out of getting involved with gang activity, by enrolling her in acting lessons. It wasn’t long after that, that Desreta landed the part on The Color Purple. Here’s how she said that opportunity came:

After the Color Purple hype wore down, she quickly learned about the brainwashed, jacked up views that often exist in Hollywood when it comes to casting talent. Desreta admitted, in a prior interview with Onyx Truth, that she fell into the constant ridicules that plague many actresses – you’re too Black, you’re too fat, your nose is too wide, your curves are too round, your arms are too long…no their too short, your legs are too thin…no they aren’t thin enough, and so on and so forth- it’s crazy. So after growing tired of the Hollywood scene treating her like she was in a never-ending cattle call when she would go on auditions, she decided to step away from the acting game and do other things that she loved.

She went to school, and rekindled her business that she’d been in professionally since the age of nine, which was the hair braiding business, she had two children along the way, and when we fast forward today, she is now the CEO of her own successful hair products brand, Black Silk Products. Innovate Health & Technology Breakthroughs has also acknowledged Desreta for her many contributions to the improvement in the health of African American hair & she’s also been dubbed the new ‘Madame C.J. Walker of the millennium.’

Alright now, Desreta…do your thang Queen!

The post “Celie” Was Called “Ugly” In “The Color Purple”…But Check Her Out Now appeared first on I Love Old School Music.