Jeni Rice-Genzuk Henry Inks Overall Deal With BET Studios

EXCLUSIVE: Former Grown-ish co-showrunner Jeni Rice-Genzuk Henry has signed an overall deal with BET Studios, the venture launched last year by Paramount and BET to generate premium content from Black creators for Paramount+, Showtime, CBS, Nickelodeon, BET+ and BET, as well as select third-party platforms.

Under the pact, Rice-Genzuk Henry already is working on a couple of projects, including Snatched, an hour-long dramedy in development at Showtime, about two women seeking to “enhance” their lives with plastic surgery; and Unlikely Stepmom, an adaptation of a French format (co-created by Agnes Hurstel and Lea Domenach) about a 25-year-old woman who falls in love with a middle-aged man, who, after a whirlwind romance reveals that he has a six-year-old daughter.

“As BET aligns with the evolving media landscape, BET Studios provides storytellers creative autonomy, leaving room for more veritable representation of Black culture on screen,” said Aisha Summers Burke, EVP, and General Manager, BET Studios. “It is important to work with a team that was not only the best in their fields, but incredibly tuned into the complexities of the Black experience and we found this — and much more — in Jeni. Her industry acumen, creativity and innovation coupled with her ability to deeply connect with viewers are such powerful resources that will help take our rapidly growing BET Studios venture to new heights.”

Rice-Genzuk Henry is coming off a three-year stint as Executive Producer/Co-Showrunner on hit Freeform series Grown-Ish. Before that, she was a co-executive producer on mothership Black-ish while also serving as consulting producer on the first season of Grown-ish.

This marks Rice-Genzuk Henry’s return to BET where she was an executive producer on long-running comedy series The Game.

“Throughout BET’s 40-year legacy, the brand has been a leading force in providing a platform for quality Black storytelling that showcases the breadth of talent that our community has to offer,” says Rice-Genzuk Henry. “In collaborating with BET Studios, I am proud to be amplifying our voices through storytelling, and to uphold BET’s commitment to represent Black culture, authentically and unapologetically.”

On the film side, Rice-Genzuk Henry most recently co-wrote the Cheaper By the Dozen remake for Disney+.

Prior to becoming a writer, Rice-Genzuk Henry toured the country with the likes of Christina Aguilera and Destiny’s Child as a successful pop singer, stage name Jeni G., member of the R&B/pop trio Before Dark. She is repped by Michael Pelmont at The Nacelle Company, Scott Schwartz at Vision Art Management, and attorney Bob Getman at Jackoway Tyerman.