Can you believe it’s been twenty-five years since four black women characters, Joan Carol Clayton, Antionette “Toni” Marie Childs, Lynn Ann Searcy, and Maya Denise Wilkes, played by Tracee Ellis Ross, Jill Marie Jones, Persia White, and Golden Brooks respectively—the ladies burst onto the small screen with their flair of fashion, beauty, and personality, giving viewers an ensemble cast like no other in the renowned, classic sitcom Girlfriends. And though their backgrounds differed, it was their individuality that connected them through the many ups and downs of life, which kept viewers watching their evolving friendship season after season. Where would they be now? We asked Brooks about her character in this exclusive, to which she gave us her response, but not before we had a little fun, imagining ourselves how things would be over two decades later.
❝ I think Maya in this day and age would probably be like an Oprah Winfrey or some type of political social influencer trying to uplift the communities!
Did Joan go through with the wedding and finally marry her “person” and become a famed restaurateur who moves to New York and becomes best friends with Toni again? Did Toni become a Real Estate influencer who goes viral with the tagline “Toni Childs specializes in results” in the Big Apple while maintaining her affluent ways, shopping on weekends with her now adult daughter, Morgan? And Lynn, did she become an esteemed professor, taking advantage of her multiple degrees and helping young people find themselves while turning her home into an Airbnb for people who need a place to crash? Or did she pursue her music career and now has more Grammys than Beyoncé? Oh, that’s a good one! What about Maya Wilkes, did the authoress book “oh hell yes!” eventually become an adapted film screen success directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Keke Palmer?
Golden Brooks…
“I think Maya in this day and age would probably be like an Oprah Winfrey or some type of political social influencer trying to uplift the communities! She would completely be an authoress with many sequels to oh hell yes, oh hell no, oh hell, maybe, oh hell to a better tomorrow. And I think Jabari would probably be in STEM, a web designer, or a clothing designer, but definitely a young entrepreneur. Darnell would have his lineage of auto body shops. And yes… We’d still be living in Lancaster, or maybe we upgraded to Santa Clarita. Lol Maya is definitely going to stay conscious and woke, and I think she’s still friends with all the ladies!”
Well, there you have it! It seems that the ladies of Girlfriends could still be friends today, navigating careers, relationships, family, social media, and social causes, and being together all over again.
What’s your take on where the Girlfriends would be today? And would William still have the patience to deal with their colorful lives in 2025 (laugh)? Join the conversation at @bsm_mag on IG.
Girlfriends was created and executive-produced by Mara Brock Akil, with Kelsey Grammar (Frasier) serving as a producer. The sitcom debuted on September 11, 2000, on UPN, and later seasons aired on The CW.
Photo Courtesy Golden Brooks
