Topline
The viral and lengthy “Who TF Did I Marry?” series, uploaded to TikTok in more than 50 parts by Tareasa Johnson under the username Reesa Teesa, will be adapted for television, with actress Natasha Rothwell executive producing and starring, making it the latest social media phenomenon to get the TV treatment.
Natasha Rothwell will produce and star as Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson. (Photo by Evans Vestal ... [+]
Key Facts
Rothwell, an Emmy nominee for her role in “The White Lotus,” obtained the rights to“Who TF Did I Marry?” through her production company, Big Hattie Productions, following a “competitive bidding war,” Variety reported.
The series will adapt Johnson’s viral TikTok story of allegedly discovering a series of elaborate lies her ex-husband told her, which racked up hundreds of millions of views.
Johnson said in a post on her TikTok account that she is “beyond excited” to work with Rothwell, stating they are “about to change the game.”
Key Background
Johnson captivated millions of viewers on TikTok earlier this year with her “Who TF Did I Marry?” series, told in more than 50 parts that stretched across eight hours. In the series, Johnson alleged her ex-husband, whom she referred to as “Legion,” falsely claimed he was the vice president of a condiment company, for which he often took calls that were not real. She also alleged he lied about moving from California, had divorced at least twice before meeting her and pretended to have two sisters and half-brothers. Johnson said she began to see red flags once multiple attempts to purchase a home with “Legion” failed, and she eventually found out his true identity through his Social Security number, prompting them to divorce. The series propelled Johnson to social media fame: She racked up more than 3.6 million TikTok followers and her “Who TF Did I Marry?” videos accumulated millions of views each, including 41.4 million views on the first part alone. Johnson signed with Los Angeles-based talent agency Creative Arts Agency for representation following the viral hit.
What Other Social Media Phenomena Made It To The Screen?
When Johnson’s TikTok series went viral, some social media users compared her story to a viral thread posted on X (then known as Twitter) in 2015 that served as the inspiration for the 2020 film, “Zola.” The thread, which stretched across 148 tweets, was written by A'Ziah "Zola" King and chronicled her wild journey to Florida with a fellow stripper she had only just met. Killer Films secured the rights to the story, and actress Taylour Paige starred as King. Several podcasts have been adapted for television, including “Homecoming,” a fictional crime podcast adapted by Prime Video, and “Dirty John,” a true crime podcast put to television by Netflix.
Tangent
Johnson’s series inspired other creators to upload their own lengthy tales to social media, including Brooke Schofield, a social media personality who hosts the “Cancelled” podcast with Tana Mongeau. Schofield posted a 14-part video series to her TikTok account chronicling her relationship with singer Clinton Kane, in which she alleged Kane lied to her about the death of his mother, his age and being Australian. Kane responded with his own video series titled “Who Did I Date Not Marry,” a 29-part series in which he denied “pathological lying” but admitted to some of Schofield’s allegations, including lying about his age “out of embarrassment.”
