*Jasmine Guy has spent nearly four decades being recognized as Whitley Gilbert, the sophisticated, outspoken and hilariously dramatic Southern belle from “A Different World.” Now, she’s preparing to introduce readers to the woman behind the character.
Guy’s memoir, “A Different Girl,” arrives Feb. 9, 2027, from Atria/Black Privilege Publishing. The 320-page book is co-written with her daughter and confidante, Imani Guy Duckette.
Yahoo Entertainment reported on the upcoming memoir, which promises to take readers from Guy’s childhood and early dance career through Hollywood success and experiences far removed from Whitley’s seemingly unshakable confidence.
The Woman Behind Whitley
According to publisher Simon & Schuster, Guy writes about growing up mixed in Atlanta near Morehouse and Spelman before moving to New York at 17 to pursue dance. Her journey included the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Broadway and Spike Lee’s “School Daze” before “A Different World” made her a television icon.
But “A Different Girl” isn’t simply a victory lap through Guy’s résumé.
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The publisher says Guy opens up about depression, struggles with self-image and racism in Hollywood, revealing challenges that audiences watching Whitley Gilbert wouldn’t necessarily have known were happening behind the scenes.
That’s particularly resonant given Guy’s previous candor about how different she was from Whitley. In earlier EURweb coverage, Guy discussed growing up biracial and the painful childhood experiences surrounding her identity.
Tupac, Whitney and Debbie Allen Are Part of the Story
Guy also revisits relationships and encounters with some major cultural figures, including Debbie Allen, Whitney Houston and Tupac Shakur.
Her connection to Tupac runs particularly deep. Guy was close to his mother, Afeni Shakur, and previously authored “Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary.” EURweb has also reported on Guy’s revelation that she quietly sheltered Tupac following his 1994 shooting in New York.
This time, however, Guy herself is at the center of the book.
And she’s telling that story alongside Imani, who isn’t merely assisting with the project but is formally credited as her mother’s co-author.
Whitley Returns as Jasmine Steps Forward
The memoir arrives during another “A Different World” moment for Guy.
She is returning as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne in Netflix’s “A Different World: The Legacy Continues,” alongside fellow original cast member Kadeem Hardison. EURweb previously reported that the sequel follows a new generation at Hillman College.
That makes the timing especially fitting. Audiences are preparing to see Whitley again while Guy prepares to reveal more of the life that existed beyond her.
After decades of people knowing the character, “A Different Girl” gives Jasmine Guy the opportunity to make sure they know her, too.
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