Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story

  • Video
  • 2023
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
144
YOUR RATING
First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story (2023)
BiographyDrama

Inspired by the true life of Detroit native Tonesa Welch. It charts Welch's rise from a teenager's mother to a drug dealer, she is referred to by federal prosecutors as "The First Lady of th... Read allInspired by the true life of Detroit native Tonesa Welch. It charts Welch's rise from a teenager's mother to a drug dealer, she is referred to by federal prosecutors as "The First Lady of the BMF"Inspired by the true life of Detroit native Tonesa Welch. It charts Welch's rise from a teenager's mother to a drug dealer, she is referred to by federal prosecutors as "The First Lady of the BMF"

  • Director
    • Vivica A. Fox
  • Writers
    • Gabrielle Collins
    • Tressa Azarel Smallwood
  • Stars
    • Leon
    • Michelle Mitchenor
    • Tobias Truvillion
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    144
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Vivica A. Fox
    • Writers
      • Gabrielle Collins
      • Tressa Azarel Smallwood
    • Stars
      • Leon
      • Michelle Mitchenor
      • Tobias Truvillion
    • 8User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Photos3

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast49

    Edit
    Leon
    Leon
    • Emerson
    Michelle Mitchenor
    Michelle Mitchenor
    • Tonesa Welch
    Tobias Truvillion
    Tobias Truvillion
    • Harvey
    Scott Swope
    Scott Swope
    • Federal Agent
    Jessica 'Jess Hilarious' Moore
    Jessica 'Jess Hilarious' Moore
    • Lisa
    Tristin Fazekas
    • Meech
    Daphnique Springs
    Daphnique Springs
    • Carla
    Kelsey Delemar
    Kelsey Delemar
    • Waitress
    Anita Moore
    Anita Moore
    • FBI Agent
    Tonesa Welch
    • The Real Tonesa Welch
    Sonia Debreczeni
    Sonia Debreczeni
    • Federal agent
    Brian Foreman
    Brian Foreman
    • Prison Guard
    Chaz Riddle
    Chaz Riddle
    • Federal agent
    Sharrie McCain
    Sharrie McCain
    • Female Prison Inmate
    Jermaine Brown
    Jermaine Brown
    • Terry Flenory Lieutenant
    • (credit only)
    John K Gary
    John K Gary
    • Federal Agent
    Mikeski
    Mikeski
    • Party Goer…
    Kevin Ricardo Tate
    Kevin Ricardo Tate
    • Marlon
    • Director
      • Vivica A. Fox
    • Writers
      • Gabrielle Collins
      • Tressa Azarel Smallwood
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews8

    5.5144
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    2robertpbukaty-98920

    Hustle and flow? They didn't show the hustle and the movie has NO FLOW

    The acting.... Mediocre at best. Growing up with ABC after school specials, they had 1000X better production quality! Still watching at this moment, but it is like nails on a chalkboard. Would rather be asleep or watching paint dry or grass grow! Guessing that any other production about BMF is nowhere near this bad! From the beginning, it is monotone. It continues to do so, I know we have too much gratuitous violence in entertainment, but even a little to show the reality of BMF. They ran the show in motor city and I guarantee it wasn't unicorns and rainbows, which is the air about this movie.
    1magicwheelofcrypto

    Fake trash movie

    This must have just been a money grab. The movie is trash. Meech barely in there this lady wants everyone to think she was behind bmf. If you was behind bmf why would you do that little time. This is unbelievable and not worth watching. She did 3 years and everybody else got football numbers. I would skip this movie it's a waste of time and contains BS that does not go along with the real bmf story. I know she was Big Tee girl and that's about it. She trying to play the victim and act like she was bigger than she was. I guess she felt like she made bmf. We know the truth it's been documented in multiple interviews with the guys that did many years in prison. To be clear Don't Waste Your time.
    10francoischristana

    There's consequences behind every decision!

    Some women are not ready to be mothers for a variety of reasons, including individual preferences, professional ambitions, financial concerns, and a perceived lack of a supporting partner. Tonesa was invited to a high-end lifestyle and accepted it without hesitation. She rapidly grew intrigued by "the game" and desired more. But, as a woman in a male-dominated world, she was told to remain in her place. As soon as the king fell, she resolved to take charge and put her thoughts into effect. She began climbing the ladder, taking over multiple territories, and she favor a new king to accompany her, Terry. She just didn't expect karma to bite her.
    2dpp-11238

    I wish 50 would've handled this.

    Watching this movie while writing this review. This ish is horrible :-D. I'm a big fan of the BMF series. There is nothing good I can say about this film other than it not being a series and having to watch it every week bwhaha. Writing in this script seems basic hell. Narration is amatuerish. This shouls be Vivica's first and last time directing a film. As in the previous review, don't bother watching this film unless you are extremely bored. OR possibly you enjoy watching fiims from a female that's scorned over 50 and made the weak attempt to one up him lol. Let's move this film over to Tubi lol.
    7thomasseery

    First Lady

    All a bit predictable and full of the usual pantomime villains and girls who stick together and fight back against their abusers.

    It's nothing that you haven't seen before but I guess as a true story it's worth watching ( even though it might not be accurate) I enjoyed it though and it's a good time filler.

    The acting isn't great but the plot moves along nicely.

    All about the easy money and the good life gone wrong and seen for the folly it is.

    Her neglect of her children doesn't make it easy to like her but you can sympathise as you can imagine what it must have been like for a single mother back then.

    More like this

    BMF
    7.4
    BMF
    Reasonable Doubt
    6.5
    Reasonable Doubt
    Divorced Sistas
    6.7
    Divorced Sistas
    The Black Hamptons
    6.3
    The Black Hamptons
    Power Book III: Raising Kanan
    7.7
    Power Book III: Raising Kanan
    Johnson
    6.9
    Johnson
    BMF: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Drug Empire
    6.0
    BMF: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Drug Empire
    The Wood
    7.0
    The Wood
    The Best Man: The Final Chapters
    8.0
    The Best Man: The Final Chapters
    All the Queen's Men
    6.7
    All the Queen's Men
    Ruined
    4.2
    Ruined
    Buying Back My Daughter
    6.2
    Buying Back My Daughter

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Featured in Number One on the Call Sheet: Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood (2025)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 5, 2023 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Production company
      • MegaMind Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 44m(104 min)
    • Color
      • Color

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.