Why UCP Withdrew from Developing My Novel

A Reflection on Reprisal and Resilience

Earlier this year, I was thrilled to announce a development deal with Universal Content Productions (UCP) for a TV series based on my novel The Dirty Girls Social Club. Co-producing alongside the talented Gina Torres, I felt we were on the brink of something incredible. However, less than an hour after I expressed my dismay about the genocide in Gaza on social media, noting that I could not support any political candidate who did not oppose continued US funding of it, everything came crashing down. UCP called within an hour of my X post, to inform me they would no longer be developing the series, citing a dubious legal claim related to the "chain of title."

“How do you live with yourselves?” I asked them. “Is money so important to you that you’re willing to do this? Kill a much-needed Latina TV series because the author of the book upon which it was to be based spoke out against slaughtering children?”

“Again,” they said, syrupy sweet. “We really love the book, and we were so excited about this fun project. Unfortunately, we just can’t afford it anymore.”

“What does it feel like?” I asked. “To be a sociopath?”

“Again, we really loved the book. Wishing you all the best.”

What Is a Chain of Title?

For those unfamiliar, the chain of title refers to the legal documentation that proves ownership of a work, ensuring there are no outstanding claims that could impede production.

My book had previously been optioned multiple times, and while the rights reverted back to me after those projects fell through—largely due to issues of sexism and racism—UCP now used this legal jargon as an excuse to withdraw from our agreement. They claimed that their lawyers had overlooked something during the lengthy negotiations.

Given that NBC/Universal is owned by Xfinity/Comcast, which is owned by GE, and the Universal wing alone has an in-house team of more than 200 of the top lawyers on the planet, this seemed a highly unlikely scenario. The reasoning felt contrived, especially coming just after an enthusiastic meeting where they celebrated the choice of a screenwriter and expressed excitement about moving forward.

But it wasn’t just contrived. It was contrived and TIMED to let me KNOW it was contrived. Less than an hour after my first-ever post against the genocide in Gaza.

Less than an hour.

They were saying, very clearly, that the post was why, that my anti-genocide stance was why, but they were also saying there would never be any way for me to prove it in a court of law because they had already concocted another reason that was highly implausible, about which I could do abso-fucking-lutely nada.

They enjoyed it.

A Pattern of Suppression

It’s hard not to see this as a direct reprisal for my outspoken stance against genocide. I have long been an advocate for justice, regardless of the demographic involved. It’s actually my literary brand, as anyone who has read any of my 16 novels can tell you.

My own heritage as a Sephardic Jew whose Portuguese and Spanish ancestors fled the Inquisition amplifies my commitment to opposing all forms of genocide. It’s disheartening to discover that many believe opposing the extermination of the Palestinian people equates to antisemitism. This misconception is not just hurtful; it’s a dangerous distortion that stifles meaningful discourse.

After years of fighting to protect my story from reductive adaptations that reinforce harmful stereotypes, I now face a new battle: standing against the repercussions of my activism.

The History of Development Deals

Let me take you through the past development deals, so you’ll get a better sense of what I’ve been up against the past 20 years.

1. Columbia Pictures: The first deal came before the book was even released, with plans for a feature film starring Jennifer Lopez, who would also have produced it alongside the now-late producer, Laura Ziskin. I was new to the industry and not involved in the creative process. The project stalled when the studio was unhappy with the script and the rights reverted back to me. They’d hired the only Latina screenwriter they knew of who’d adapted a novel successfully, out of good intentions, but she was 100 percent the wrong voice for my book. This was when I first realized that Hollywood considers one’s perceived ethnicity to be a genre. Hint: It’s fucking not, because we’re actual PEOPLE.

2. Lifetime TV: In this next deal, I was directly involved as both a producer (along with Nely Galan) and screenwriter. However, after I submitted my season and pilot outlines, the two white women network execs rejected them, claiming they weren't “Latin enough.” They pushed for insultingly stupid stereotypical portrayals of Latinas that had zero to do with my book, that I refused to endorse, leading me to pull out of the deal rather than tarnish my brand by betraying my loyal Latina readers. “Have the girls dating men in prison, like black women do,” they said. “You are idiots,” I said. “You’ve insipidly conflated race, ethnicity, skin tone, socioeconomic class, national origin and educational attainment level. You either did not read my book, or you did not understand it.” And that, my friends, was that.

3. NBC: A Latina “producer” assured me I would be the writer on this one, and I actually brokered the deal, so I uprooted my family to LA, excited by the promises that I thought were enshrined in the contract. In a shocking turn, she hired her friend instead, leading to a script that misrepresented my characters and themes in the most racist and sexist of ways. She made the “dirty girls” literal, meaning the professional women were now college-aged “sluts” (in the book the phrase is feminist and ironic) stripping for white frat boys in the opening scene. She had also removed all my Afro-Latino characters, and told me she did this “because no one wants to see black people on TV.” She made my Cuban Jewish character an American Jewish character from Long Island because, she said, “Americans think Latinos are all Catholics.” There was lots more stupidity; it would turn your stomach. My literary agent, who’d insisted she was qualified to negotiate a TV deal, wasn’t, so I had no recourse other than to speak out, on my blog. Which I did. The producers tried to sue me for defamation but gave up when they realized how futile that would be, as I was broke. Still am. I was labeled “difficult” by the Latinx Hollywood establishment after this. If you can believe that. This is when I began to realize most of the Latinx stars who make it are striving narcissists willing to sell their people out for a buck. I’m not cut from that cloth.

4. Tyler Perry: When Tyler Perry got word of me defending my Afro-Latino characters, he extended a hand to help make DGSC a series. We entered a shopping agreement with his indie film studio, 34th Street Films, leveraging Perry’s influence in Hollywood to pitch the project. At the time, Perry was the No. 1 earning producer in the industry. Despite the book’s success, and his having attached an Oscar-winning screenwriter to adapt, networks claimed it was too risky to produce an ensemble about middle class Latina friends, which was baffling. More than one network exec asked us why we weren’t taking it “to Telemundo,” a Spanish-language network. My book was written in my native tongue, English. Most Latinos in the US were born here and use English as their native and only language. The question would be akin to asking Perry why his Madea movies weren’t in, say, Swahili. I could not believe how idiotic the execs were. Mind. Blown.

5. Starz: After several years, Hollywood forgot I was blacklisted and interest resurfaced in the book again, due to its success not just in the US but in 10 other nations as well. The project, produced by the amazing Ann Thomopolous and Lucia Cottone and written by the brilliant Ligiah Villalobos, was gaining traction with a great producer and screenwriter — until Lionsgate acquired Starz, which had VIDA in development at the time. The new massive conglomerate decided to kill one of the projects, fearing the network couldn’t support two Latina shows that were nothing alike simultaneously. Heavens no. They killed mine.

6. Subsequent Options: There were additional options, including with a Latino music video producer, but those efforts also failed to secure a deal.

Each of these experiences underscored the institutional racism and sexism pervasive in Hollywood, where the stories of Latina women struggle to find a platform.

Then came Afro-Latina actress and producer Gina Torres and the UCP deal, and, I felt, things had perhaps finally evolved enough in Hollywood for this book to finally get the adaptation it deserved. They were on the cusp of inking a deal with a Latina screenwriter to adapt the book when…well. You know. I said genocide was bad. Tsk tsk.

A New Path Forward

I find myself at a crossroads. UCP’s decision cost me a potential $250,000 in rights purchase, a small sum for a billion-dollar company, yet it feels monumental for me, and now I won’t ever see it.

But I refuse to let this setback define my career. Instead, I am excited to share that Josefina Lopez, the filmmaker behind REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, has offered to let me adapt The Dirty Girls Social Club into a stage play at her theater in LA. This direction not only protects the integrity of my story but also sidesteps the vultures who thrive on exploiting creators like me. So, that’s the direction I’d like to pursue.

Moreover, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your support as I continue to write the stories that matter to me. My upcoming book, Where Rabbits Gathered, is set to be released on November 28, 2024. This novel confronts the dark realities of genocide, drawing connections between the past and present, and it resonates deeply with the issues we face today.

Support Independent Voices

I encourage you to pre-order Where Rabbits Gathered—available in physical, ebook, and audiobook formats. Your support not only helps me continue my literary journey but also sends a message that we value narratives that challenge the status quo.

Here’s the pre-order link: Order Now!

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In a world rife with injustice, let’s stand together against all forms of genocide, marginalization, oppression and censorship, and celebrate the stories that illuminate our shared humanity.

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Together, we can ensure that the voices of resistance and resilience are heard loud and clear.