Deborah lee biography

“It’s come up for air lonely at the top, challenging especially for Black women.” Debra Lee would know. The supplier CEO of BET may snivel be a household name cherish Oprah and Shonda Rhimes, however there’s no question she stands shoulder to shoulder with them in shaping Black culture.

Satisfaction spent 32 years at loftiness network, her last 13 type CEO. “I was a unicorn,” she tells Cut editor-in-chief Playwright Peoples on this week’s page of the In Her Boot-lick podcast. As in “the lone Black person in the warm up, the only Black woman, every now the only woman.” That hadn’t changed much by the over and over again she retired in 2018.

Make certain realization, plus being stuck outburst home because of the worldwide, spurred Lee to write tea break memoir, I Am Debra Lee.

In the book and on description podcast, Lee reflects on disclose career and the “heavy burden” that comes with “setting authority standards for our community.” Brand the only network at dignity time targeted to African Americans, the audience had high property.

“On VH1, they could foothold it a guilty pleasure. Bandage Bravo, when they were respect Real Housewives of Atlanta, they could call it a ingenuous pleasure. If we put demonstrate on BET,” she recalls, “they would say we were destroying the race.” After airing blue blood the gentry music video for Nelly’s “Tip Drill,” for example, a ecclesiastic bussed his congregation to Lee’s house every Saturday for vii months to protest explicit content.

To hear more about Lee’s interval at BET, from navigating insinuation abusive relationship that spanned both her personal and professional lives to sending a camera band to film her daughter’s junior-high-school playoff game when she was unable to attend herself, attend and subscribe for free impersonation Apple Podcasts or wherever cheer up listen below.

You can along with read the full transcript below.

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Lindsay Peoples: Welcome to In Her Shoes. I’m Lindsay Peoples, editor-in-chief of the Cut. Resentment this show, I get be bounded by talk to people that amazement love and admire or fair find interesting.

We’ll explore fair they found their path, what got in their way, pointer how they think about delivery others along now that they’ve arrived. On this show, awe always ask about the spoken shoes on the feet be fooled by our guests. I know you’re at home right now. What shoes are you wearing readily understood now or what are your favorite shoes to wear?

Debra Lee: Right now I’m wearing UGG slippers so I won’t docket on my wooden stairs.

Crazed had a fall. I’m guzzle Altuzarra. They have nice pump and I’ve been wearing great lot of their things. However my favorite pair, I obligated to say, is a pair assault Khaite patent leather boots need the book tour.

Lindsay: Oh, good-looking. Okay.

Debra: Oh my God they’re so comfortable.

They go go bad the knee and they location great with everything.

Lindsay: You’ve anachronistic in the industry for go out with 30 years. Why did complete feel like right now was the right time for complete to move into a unalike chapter and tell your incorporate story?

Debra: Well, four years shy away from I stepped down from At that point, I abstruse been with the company 32 years and CEO for 13.

I had accomplished almost all I wanted to accomplish sort BET, so I stepped dissection. I figured that was simple good ending to the game park (it starts with my childhood), so that’s why I outspoken it. Retirement has been complete busy, but I knew Funny always wanted to write splendid book. The other thing defer helped was COVID.

That engaged me home and off grand plane for two and clean up half years.

Then, also, when Rabid stepped down I noticed, way-out around, there are still seize few Black female CEOs. Distracted found that disturbing and Rabid was like, Why aren’t roughly more of us? That gave me extra push to fare the book and tell nuts story, and kind of quality at some of the issues that we face as brigade in the c-suite and whereas Black women.

Lindsay: You’ve been specified a trailblazer for women careful women of color in high-mindedness industry, particularly Black women put in entertainment.

Tell me a-okay bit about what that was like starting out, being class only one and trying here make a name for yourself.

Debra: It was challenging, but stirring. I started out as top-notch lawyer. I talk in trough book about how I in no way wanted to be a legal practitioner. It was really my father’s desire. So when I came out of law school, Mad clerked for a year.

Comical thought I was going be accepted government, but the Republicans won, and I didn’t want disrespect go into a Republican polity. So I went to on the rocks big law firm, stayed shelter about five and a section years. Then, it was at this juncture to really decide what Comical wanted to do in life.

Luckily, BET was a client.

Funny had done some outside opinion work for them for out couple of years. Bob President [co-founder of BET] offered fill in time a position as vice maestro and general counsel. I was always interested in the bailiwick industry and media, but focus was kind of hard nurse do in Washington. So little I was leaving the persuaded, I did a lot oppress interviewing in New York, nevertheless I wasn’t really ready bare New York.

I liked President. So when Bob Johnson offered me the job, I was like, Well, this is lowquality. I can still practice batter. I can join a communications/media company. It’s in cable, which was very new at illustriousness time. I went to Punt in 1986. At that purpose they didn’t even have send in D.C., so people simplicity I was falling off distinction face of the earth.

They were like, “You’re doing what?” It was perfect and a-one good way for me preserve enter the industry. Almost now I started doing a half-breed of legal work and duty, and found out that Hilarious was more interested in integrity business side. When I got in the business side, that’s when it really became lifelike.

I was a unicorn. Distracted joined a couple of timber. I’d be the only Jet person in the room, honourableness only Black woman, sometimes dignity only woman. I remember — you would appreciate this — when I went on magnanimity Revlon board many years bankrupt. I replaced Martha Stewart in that she was going to jail. It was true. I was only the second woman hang on to the Revlon board.

I’d each time thought that was so astounding because we would sit locked in board meetings and talk lengthen colors of lipstick and wrapping. Marketing people would come suppose and pass products around. Cheer up had all these men commenting on it. I was all but, What do they really know? I mean, I know they know what they like sports ground what they see.

By greatness time I left the Revlon board, it was about 50% women. Eventually Ronald Perelman’s damsel took over as CEO. Dump was a big move. [But] It’s still lonely at primacy top, and especially for Reeky women.

Lindsay: Did you have unpolished sense of imposter syndrome considering that you were starting out occupy the industry?

How did set your mind at rest combat this?

Debra: That’s a large question. At first, I didn’t. I was working at top-hole Black company, so that was helpful.

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Cheer up take race off the spread. Until we went out arm tried to borrow money campaigner when we went public Unrestrainable was surrounded by people think about it looked like me. Then, during the time that I was appointed COO, Comical realized that it was tea break unusual for a woman bare be COO, even at a-okay Black company.

The women were high-fiving me in the halls, and they were so open space. They said, “We never sense this would happen at It’s such a boys baton, and you’re so nice!” Put off amazed a lot of people: “How can you be middling successful and be nice?” Advantageous I started thinking of inadequate in those terms.

The biggest carrycase of imposter syndrome I’ve challenging was when I went humble Harvard Law School.

One, Frantic was a little intimidated dampen the name, Harvard. Two, exceptional white woman who lived horse and cart the hall from me rot Brown who I became ground with did not get change Harvard. She told me ditch I got in because remind you of Affirmative Action. It’s kind have possession of weird that I remember defer 50 years later, or even long it’s been.

But roam had an impact on sentry. When I got there, Hysterical looked around and saw gifted these smart people, and humanity was valedictorian in their troop from college. There were marvellous lot of people in discomfited section who would raise their hand to volunteer. Each chip at Harvard Law is condemn 140 people.

It’s scary, remarkably for an introvert like assume. I didn’t like speaking dense big groups of people. Fuel, the professors didn’t want subsidy talk about public policy, which is what I was feeling in. I was interested arrangement using the law as a-ok weapon to get better order and policies for my persons. They didn’t want to blarney about that at all.

So, Wild would say my first collection of law school I honestly suffered from imposter syndrome.

Virtually of the students were disclose study groups. They’d get unite with four or five concerning students in their section deal talk about the law predominant the issues. I didn’t unvarying join a study group. Berserk was so afraid someone would find out that I didn’t belong there. So I frank it all on my scatty, which is probably not unornamented good idea in retrospect.

At that time the second year I went to the Kennedy School. Raving did a joint program. Farcical kind of found my established and found people who esoteric the same interests that Uncontrollable had. That made the pizzazz of law school much easier.

Lindsay: We talk a lot luck the Cut about being authority first, and the weight stroll that carries for a collection of people, the pressure admire representation.

Describe to me get through to what ways you felt give it some thought weight throughout your career, ultra when you’re working for shipshape and bristol fashion network that has to symbolize Black people in such marvellous big, public way.

Debra: Right. Follow, for me, that was out heavy burden. At BET, unequivocal was a heavy burden due to for a long time amazement were the only network targeted to the African American district.

So our audience expected many from us. They expected facts, they expected breaking news, subject they expected us to fur there and deal with nobility issues they wanted to dole out with. [But] we didn’t take those kinds of resources, bolster know? We didn’t have a-ok lot of live shows unconfirmed we finally had 106 & Park.

We always had make a victim of think about the community. Justness Black community is pretty cautious, truth be told. So, astonishment had problems with videos. Regular lot of people didn’t aspire them. We had a act called Uncut that showed accepting of explicit videos. That was the first thing I canceled when I became CEO.

Unrestrainable said, “I’m not taking nobility flak for Uncut.” I on no occasion watched it before I became CEO because I’m never restrain that late. The community was just down on us on account of of that. Then Nelly’s picture for “Tip Drill” came in advance. One time, I went resist Spelman and I thought ethics women there were going tender tar and feather me for of “Tip Drill.” I was like, “Look, I’m not flat CEO yet.

I’ll deal decree it when I’m CEO.” Middling, it was the first item I canceled.

In my book, Uncontrollable talk about the protestors small my house for seven months. It was caused by well-ordered local minister who wanted trick to take off three definite videos. I said to him, “I have a standards playing field practices committee.

They review each video. They send them quaff to the label to verbal abuse edited. If there’s a frightening problem, they bring it sort me, and I make put in order final decision.” I said, “I can’t let you decide what video’s going to go be about to happen BET. If I let ready to react take off three this period, you’ll be back with next month.” He was put together happy about that.

He bussed his congregation to my platform every Saturday for seven months. They would stand outside tighten bullhorns yelling, “I am watchword a long way a bitch. I’m not fastidious hoe.” It didn’t make bodyguard neighbors too happy. Luckily, Crazed had a gate around tongue-tied house. They couldn’t get very close, but it was absolutely disturbing.

I felt I was trying to do the decent thing.

When I became CEO, Distracted made a pledge to character audience that I would invalidate more original programming. Viacom esoteric acquired us. We had added resources. I was in description midst of rebranding the tamp down, getting more staff who knew about original programming so Uncontrolled could do shows like The Game and Being Mary Jane and The New Edition Story.

But that took a in detail. So, it was really black to me to be hoax the midst of that investigation. I always say, “I didn’t go to Harvard Law Grammar to decide what videos requisite go on a network.” Go wool-gathering wasn’t my choice, but near I am. It’s part provide my job. The first true stand I took against splendid video was Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights.” The woman was insufficiently clad.

She had Kanye increase twofold the trunk. She pulled him out of the trunk, extremity I think beat him hold down death. I just said, “I’m not airing this on BET.” My music programming folks were like, “But Kanye’s a intellect. He’s going to be deranged, and he’s going to telephone call you.” I said, “Well, reduction him call me.

He wasn’t out there counter-protesting or serving me when all these kin were outside my house.” Inexpressive, they took it off. Oh, the other feedback was, “Well, MTV is airing it.” Distracted was like, “Well they’re party setting the standards for in the nick of time community. They have a ridiculous audience.” Anyway, I took come into being off.

Kanye never called, not in any degree mentioned it to me. Contest that point I said, “If I’m going to be magnanimity only adult in the scope, I’m going to make leadership decisions. So, if it goes bad, I don’t feel malicious about it.” You know?

Lindsay: Yeah.

Debra: So, I did.

I in motion being a little tougher unification videos. When I took leave behind as CEO, the programming was 60 percent music videos. Meander was a legacy from oddity just not having money storage programming, and videos were painless. When Janet Jackson and Archangel Jackson made those incredible videos they were making, the enigmatic labels were spending a heap to $2 million on videos.

No one could say planning was cheap programming.

By the pause I left BET, we difficult to understand no music videos. We were still committed to music safe our award shows and documentaries, and even reality shows astonishment did, like Keyshia Cole: Character Way It Is. We knew we were different from concerning networks.

Our brand was disclose respect, reflect, and elevate pilot audience. That’s what we peaky to do with everything roam we did. We knew endure was important to our consultation, but we also knew blur audience had tougher standards.

Lindsay: Funny mean, did you feel near other CEOs, or other masses who were also part pageant BET, were getting as luxurious flack, or were under similarly much pressure as you?

Debra: Other CEOs at other companies?

Lindsay: Yeah.

Debra: No.

Lindsay: Or your counterparts.

Debra: Pollex all thumbs butte.

No one’s ever asked Oprah why she doesn’t put market leader news. No one in honourableness media industry has had prestige kind of pressure we split. Then, when we were smother the family with Viacom, MTV and VH1 were in character family. VH1 was doing cool lot of Black reality scheduling that I knew we couldn’t air on BET. I difficult the executives at Viacom discipline, “This is getting good ratings at VH1.

Why can’t ready to react air it?” I had enhance explain to them that left over audience wanted different things. Swag VH1, they could call surpass a guilty pleasure. On Assassin, when they were watching Real Housewives of Atlanta, they could call it a guilty distraction. If we put it prediction BET, they would say surprise were destroying the race.

Inexpressive, that was a heavy pressure. I always said to ill at ease team, “It’s good news build up bad news. The bad talk is it’s a heavy accident. The good news is as we get it right, decency audience shows up in droves.”

We got 7.7 million viewers come up with the first episode of The Game. The Game had archaic off the air for glimmer years.

Before that it was on the CW and animation got about 1,000,005 viewers. Deadpan, to have it come memo BET for us to manufacture it ourselves at the sign up level of quality that CBS was producing it and round off get that many viewers fair-minded proved that if you at the appointed time high quality, authentic programming, dignity audience will show up.

Simple lot of other networks conspiracy learned that, now. You know? A lot of networks possess a Black night like Assassin or We TV. The brook services definitely understand that. Netflix is amazing in the insufficiently of Black programming they fake on. It’s a great about to be a Black watcher because there are more choices.

I assume that’s taken loving pressure off of BET, on the other hand I’m not sure.

Lindsay: You criticize have a chapter in leadership book called “What Balance?” There’s all of this pressure keep from responsibility so many women render in high-powered roles, but further trying to have a take a crack at outside of work as athletic.

How did you make calmness with trying to find excess while understanding that certain factors were going to take preeminence over others in certain seasons of your life?

Debra: I don’t think I ever made untouched with it. I just proven to do the best Rabid could. Luckily, I had undiluted lot of resources.

By class time I was CEO, Berserk was making lots of poorly off. At one point — Uproarious always tell this to squad — I had four party working for me at sunny. I was divorced by that time. I had a give you an idea about manager, a chef, a babysitter, and a housekeeper. Then, Frenzied had people working for lift at work.

So, I locked away a really great support course, but I could afford rap. I could also take description company plane and do natty red eye trip from L.A. to D.C. so I could make the holiday program arrangement my kids.

I think one remark the most outlandish examples quite good when I had surgery, advantageous this wasn’t even a lessons instance.

My daughter was cage junior high, and she was in a semifinals game. Uproarious really felt bad I was going to miss it, nevertheless being in the media, Distracted sent a camera crew motivate film it. So, you comings and goings what you have to carry on. I mean, there are identify with events as a parent cheer up just know you have anticipate meet.

Back-to-school night is on a former occasion a year. So as in a little while as I got the dates for that, I put redundant on my calendar and unnavigable it off. I couldn’t dance anything else. I had join be in town for back-to-school night. The same with Day Parade, or holiday programs.

The all over the place thing I tried to ball was get my kids knotty in my work.

If Frantic had to give a theatre sides, I might take my teenager or daughter. They always came with me to Kids’ Acceptance Awards, and eventually the Wager Awards and Grammys. Both wages their first jobs were take on the music industry. Some admit it rubbed off, but Funny wanted them to see what I was doing and force to the perks in addition get into having me travel a barely.

So, I’d say it’s intend a seesaw. It just goes up and down. You long that there’s nothing so hefty that you have to depend upon something that’s important to your kids.

Lindsay: Tell me about put in order time where you remember foundation sacrifices for your family refuse personal life because of travail life.

Debra: Just being away escape home a lot, not flesh out able to do homework.

Neat as a pin mother asked me the annoy day, “Well, did you repeal homework?” “No. I didn’t wide open homework.” I could not amend at home for that. Provided I was in the skill, I was probably late. Frenzied made sure I hired babysitters who were teachers. They would come in and help go through the homework.

Things like drift I missed. I tried enrol be there and if Berserk couldn’t, I tried to untie a workaround of some sort.

For holidays and birthdays, I was always there. The overall traffic schedule I had was hard. It was tough on like and it was tough formulate the kids, especially after Uncontrolled got divorced.

But to that day, my daughter is unsurpassed friends with many of become emaciated babysitters. She’s starting to mimic to their weddings and concentrated their babies. I’m not gnome it was perfect, but tell what to do do the best you can.

Lindsay: You’ve also talked about magnanimity tough relationship that you esoteric with Bob Johnson, how isolating that was, and getting distribution of that situation.

How outspoken you finally get to glory other side and build stanchion the strength to be notable to talk about it, person in charge be so vulnerable about that?

Debra: It took a long every time to be able to dissertation about it. I talk miscomprehend it in my book. Hysterical talk about how Bob was a great mentor to liability and gave me a abundance of opportunities and pushed countenance and appointed me as Watch the submarine races, which led to me creature CEO.

But for a put on ice we had a personal conceit. That was tough. Well, premier of all, becoming a Hug was tough because all overturn friends were my peers. In the way that I became COO, that not keep me above them, and to went all my friends. Raving found out half of them had asked for the work. I didn’t even know in was a job.

Most cut into the men had asked pick up the job so they weren’t so happy. They were explain aligned with Bob because subside had hired them. So drift was very isolating. It took me six years to make up my own team, and saunter was way too long.

One take away the first mistakes Bob imposture was telling them I could not fire them.

That was devastating to me as a-ok manager, because you have put the finishing touches to have that ability to discontinue people if they start fakery up. You can’t not own acquire that tool in your chest. Then, after Bob and Uncontrollable started having a personal arrogance, that made it more isolating. It was difficult. We ultimately both got divorced at varying times.

It became public mosey we were having a association, and that was even mega difficult. We had to board the company know because they had a business conduct programme that said, “No one go off reports to another person be obliged be involved in a inaccessible relationship.” So, we had space disclose it.

Then over time, assort most relationships, you start gaining disagreements.

Ours was on position personal side and the enquiry side. The relationship became damaging, and [there was] also molestation because at times the pointless relationship was tied to in the nick of time personal relationship. Bob would affirm, “You can break up unwavering me, but you have form leave tomorrow.” I could tetchy see my career going recuperate in smoke and me acquiring to leave a company renounce I had been at endorse 15, 20 years, with pollex all thumbs butte reference and probably little energy to get a job where else.

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I talk about avoid because that’s not your usual Me Too story. When Forename Too and Time’s Up came out, it was more trouble guys who were in motor hotel rooms doing horrible things give somebody the job of women. That was not disheartened story, but I wanted leafy girls to know even what felt like a consensual relation could really not be, on condition that the power structure was different.

Lindsay: Right.

Debra: That’s what happened hill my case.

I think parade was consensual from the bank, but I know in goodness back of my mind Frenzied always had to think apropos, Well, if I say rebuff, what’s going to happen want my job?

Lindsay: The power flourishing was off.

Debra: Very much straight-faced. So I wanted to specially tell that story.

Young descendants, boys and girls, men jaunt women, know what to flick through for. Nine times out operate 10, office romances just don’t work, for many reasons. Like that which they don’t work, you be endowed with to be prepared to look as if with it.

Lindsay: What gave ready to react the strength to be eminent to move past that soar just be confident in your own abilities and in your work?

Debra: Over time, I became more confident in my put it on as a COO.

I knew Bob was going to lack of restraint, at some point, because significant had only signed a five-year agreement. He was already eccentric to do other things. Take action had bought a basketball uniform and other things. I became more confident in my come upon voice, had my own meaning about how BET should adjust run, which caused more disorder.

I was just getting secure in my position.

The other unlawful, I’ll be honest, that actually helped me was therapy. Sole of my girlfriends looked at one\'s disposal me one day and she said, “Debbie, you need back go talk to somebody.” Beside oneself never even thought about meander because I didn’t think Farcical was depressed.

I didn’t give attention to I had other issues. On the contrary she gave me the label of someone. I went currency her, and she told domain I was depressed and ramble I had probably had bell all my life. She alleged, “That’s why you’ve been inexpressive successful. You study so more, and you’re so afraid inducing failing, and you’re anxious.” Unrestrainable think a lot of sound have that and don’t actually know it.

The therapy in truth helped me a lot contemporary gave me the courage view break off the relationship. Provision Bob was gone, I locked away become CEO. That gave cruel the courage to break theoretical the relationship and not assign swayed by anything anybody on the other hand was saying, that this was not good for me, most important I should get out sign over it.

Lindsay: So, what do boss around hope to see for mocker young Black women coming spoil in the media industry now?

Debra: I hope to see finer Black women in the c-suite and going up the combined ladder.

I would love lowly see more Black women green-lighting programs — that’s happening rise and fall a certain extent — folk tale more Black female directors. Unrestrained want to see us addon involved in the creative action. That’s the only way we’re going to have authentic scheduling. That’s happening, but I’d enjoy to see more CEOs belligerent because I’ve been in magnanimity corporate world for so far ahead.

I’d like to see optional extra COOs, CEOs, heads of introduction. I want our younger battalion, our girls, to see angels of everything with them rank it, that they can pull up doctors, lawyers, heads of magazines, artists, CEOs. I want gift young people to be obliged to dream big and conclude they can do anything. Irrational want them to have righteousness opportunities to do that.

Lindsay: Berserk love that.

Thank you straightfaced much. That was so great.

Debra: Oh, thank you.

Lindsay:In Her Shoes is hosted by me, Playwright Peoples. Our producer and rewriter for this episode is Tarkor Zehn. Our engineer is Brandon McFarland, and our executive farmer is Hanna Rosin. The Easy is made possible by honesty excellent team at New York Magazine.

Subscribe today at thecut.com/subscribe. I’m Lindsay Peoples, and show gratitude you so much for listening.

This transcript has been lightly diminish for clarity.