Lifetime is diving into another real-life story with Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story, a Ripped from the Headlines film that will leave you questioning just how well you know your own history. Starring and executive produced by Yaya DaCosta (The Lincoln Lawyer, Chicago Med), the film is based on Monique Smith’s memoir, detailing her harrowing journey of survival, self-discovery, and the shocking realization that the family who raised her wasn’t actually her own.
Directed by Tailiah Breon and written by Sylvia Jones, the film premieres Saturday, April 12, at 8/7c on Lifetime. Joining DaCosta in the cast are Robert Hamilton III, Solace Kimbro Jones, Kadeem Isaiah, Morgan-Rose Jordan, and Djassi DaCosta Johnson, Yaya’s real-life sister.
Monique Smith always felt like something was off. Raised in an abusive household, she spent her childhood longing for love and safety. But when she became a mother herself, those lingering feelings of displacement turned into an urgent need for answers.
Her search for official documents—like a birth certificate and social security card—only deepened the mystery. Determined to uncover the truth, Monique embarked on a decades-long journey, turning to DNA testing, questioning relatives, and piecing together a reality more shocking than she ever imagined.
The film is produced by Undaunted Content in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment. D’Angela Proctor serves as an executive producer for Undaunted Content, with Richard Foster and Chet Fenster executive producing for GroupM Motion Entertainment.
With Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story, Lifetime continues its legacy of bringing gripping true stories to the screen—because sometimes, reality is even more unbelievable than fiction