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What the Megan Thee Stallion Documentary Tells Us About Megan Pete, According to Its Director

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What the Megan Thee Stallion Documentary Tells Us About Megan Pete, According to Its Director

As a seasoned cinephile who has traversed the vast landscapes of human emotion through the lens of countless films, I must say that Nneka Onuorah’s documentary, “Megan: In Her Words,” stands out as a poignant and powerful testament to the complexities of life and the indomitable spirit of Megan Thee Stallion.

In her songs and music videos, Megan Thee Stallion projects an assertive, bold, nonchalant, even seemingly arrogant image. Yet beneath this larger-than-life facade lies a reservoir of pain: Over the last few years, the rapper, originally named Megan Pete, has grappled with grief, PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideations.

The complex tension in Nneka Onuorah’s life serves as the powerful motivation for her latest documentary, “Megan: In Her Words“, scheduled to premiere on Oct. 31 on Prime Video. Since 2022, Onuorah has been documenting Pete with a camera, capturing her performances on some of the world’s largest stages and massive streaming successes—all while mourning the loss of her mother and dealing with the repercussions of being shot by Tory Lanez.

In an interview, Onuorah shares that one key aim of creating the film was to expose the complex human emotions beneath Pete’s heroic persona. She describes the movie as “a window into Megan’s soul during a particularly challenging period in her life.” The film illustrates how sorrow and despair can profoundly affect one’s existence and personal journeys. Given the widespread grief we see today, Onuorah believes this narrative resonates deeply with many people.

As many others did, I found myself drawn to Megan Thee Stallion last year when her song “Savage” became a viral sensation on social media during the initial phase of the pandemic in 2020. In this track, she showcases herself and her multifaceted personality with a blend of elegance, flamboyance, and raw energy. The remix, featuring a verse from one of her role models, Beyoncé, quickly climbed to the top of the Billboard charts. Not long after, “WAP,” a collaboration with Cardi B that was as explicit as it was catchy, took over the number one spot.

Although Pete brought a much-needed sense of joy during the pandemic, many were unaware of her personal struggles. Her mother Holly Thomas, a significant influence as her role model, confidante, and motivator, had passed away the year prior due to a brain tumor. In an interview with Onuorah, Pete admitted that she turned to substance abuse, partying, and work to cope: “I’ve been trying to get past this pain by constantly staying intoxicated.

In a tragic turn of events, singer Tory Lanez was allegedly involved in a shooting incident with Pete, back in July 2020. The two had developed a friendship and were also romantically linked; their interactions often revolved around alcohol consumption as shared by Pete to Onuorah. That fateful night, emotions escalated leading to Lanez firing shots at her, reportedly five times. He made a remorseful phone call to one of Pete’s friends from jail that same night, but later refuted the shooting claims. As weeks turned into months, the disagreement became public through social media and eventually court proceedings where Lanez was charged with three felonies including reckless firearm use. However, many sided with him, casting doubt on Pete’s account of the incident.

It was in this fragile state, in early 2022, when Onuorah started filming Pete for a documentary. (Onuorah had previously directed The Legend of the Underground, about the Nigerian LGBTQ community, and Lizzo’s Watch Out For the Big Grrrls, on Prime Video.) She knew that grief would be a major theme of the documentary from very early on: “I could tell her spirit felt a little broken,” she says. “That’s why I wanted to be there for her to create a safe space through this process.” 

In recent times, numerous notable music documentaries have emerged, frequently produced with the artist’s record label (such as films about Billie Eilish and Blackpink). For instance, executives from Roc Nation, which manages Pete, were involved in the production of the documentary. However, Onuorah aimed to emulate an older style of music documentaries, like 1991’s Madonna: Truth or Dare. Her goal was to craft a portrait that felt “genuine, unfiltered, and not overly dramatic or sensationalized,” as she stated.

In their global journey, Onuorah accompanied Pete through cities such as Tokyo, Switzerland, Paris, and eventually Houston, where they paid respects at Pete’s mother’s grave. Along the way, various film crews were hired in several locations, but Onuorah also personally filmed Pete during private, one-on-one sessions to foster trust and emotional closeness between the filmmaker and subject. In these personal interviews, Pete opened up to Onuorah about her experiences, revealing that she used Megan Thee Stallion as a protective barrier to conceal her inner struggles. She talked about battling crippling nightmares, feelings of isolation, and even shared an instance where, at the depths of her depression, she called 911 because she felt unable to breathe. “I didn’t feel like my life was worth living,” she admitted.

Megan’s documentary steers clear of the common format of interview-centric documentaries, with notable absences such as Pardison Fontaine, Pete Davidson’s romantic partner during filming, along with musical collaborators like Cardi B and Glorilla. Onuorah explains, “I don’t think that method truly reveals a person, since it’s based on other people’s views. Instead, I chose to observe and employ a ‘vérité’ approach.

The movie doesn’t offer many details about the specific arguments leading up to Pete’s shooting or the involvement of Kelsey Harris, his friend and assistant, who was present during the incident. Notably, Harris chose not to testify, while Lanez was found guilty of multiple felonies in August and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, the film does highlight Pete’s genuine emotions and sense of relief upon hearing about Lanez’s conviction.

This year, Pete achieved a No. 1 single titled “HISS” and a No. 3 album named MEGAN; she performed a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden and hosted the MTV Video Music Awards. In October, she unveiled another album called Act II. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Pete discussed the filming process of her documentary and the challenges she faced with cameras around. “Much of the footage is cell phone footage,” she explained, “because I refused to film in front of actual cameras.

In Onuorah’s own words, her admiration for Pete grew as she witnessed him face immense challenges under public scrutiny. “Many claim they’re strong,” she notes, “but few have faced daily criticism from millions, hearing unfavorable comments about themselves.” Onuorah praises Megan for her tenacity and ability to rise above the adversity, stating that she embodies strength in her eyes.

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2024-10-31 14:06

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