BET’s The New Edition Story resonated with viewers across generations, bringing in a reported average of four million viewers each night of the three-part mini-series. Day one fans, as well as newer ones, got a front row seat to the Boston crooners’ struggles with drugs, royalties, and fights from the studio to the stage. One of the most shocking revelations was Ricky Bell’s struggle with cocaine due to Bobby Brown’s battle with drugs and alcohol being the most publicized. The biopic had our eyes glued to the screen during the drama-filled and heart-tugging moments, but it also spawned some questions about other things that happened during the group’s three decades in the business. Here are five questions that went unanswered during The New Edition Story.
Where were their fathers?
Though the three-part series gave a glimpse into the guys’ childhoods in Boston’s Orchard Park Projects, we only saw touching moments with their mothers. There was no mention of their fathers. Brooke Payne was the father figure to the five bad boys, but what about their biological dads? Viewers were not shown whether their fathers left during their early years, were never a part of their lives, were dearly departed too soon or were actually present.
How did Ricky Bell get out of debt?
After the group fell out of the limelight, some of them landed on hard times financially and had to venture outside of music. Michael Bivins, Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown seemed to have been financially secure, while Ralph Tresvant was engulfed in a divorce that had his assets up for grabs. Ronnie entered the real estate field and Ricky struggled with a cocaine problem after his mother’s passing. His publishing was garnished and he had to sell his house, so it seemed like he was doing worse than his fellow band members. The movie showed his stint in rehab but did not detail how he was able to rebuild his finances.
How come Bobby’s relationship with Whitney Houston wasn’t mentioned?
The last time the story of Whitney and Bobby’s tumultuous relationship was told was in Lifetime’s 2015 Whitney Houston biopic that involved input from people who were not in her family. Since Bobby was involved in the production of this biopic, the depiction of their relationship would have been more accurate. Details of their rocky relationship were probably left unmentioned to respect her legacy, but we’re still curious.
What about Johnny Gill’s love life?
Johnny Gill is a father, but there was no mention of what his romantic life was like at all during the group’s 30-year run in the mini-series.
What happened while New Edition was signed to Bad Boy Records?
After their “Home Again” tour came to an abrupt end before the last scheduled performance, the group reunited and signed a record deal with Bad Boy Records in 2002. They released their first single in five years “Hot 2Nite” from their seventh album, One Love. Their time on Diddy’s label wasn’t shown during the movie at all. Was it as drama-filled as their time on MCA or were there money problems like their early days on Streetwise Records?
