Lynn Whitfield currently stars in OWN’s “Greenleaf” but she’ll always be remembered for her 1996 classic “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate.”
“A Thin Line” co-stars Martin Lawrence as Darnell, a womanizer who relentlessly chases after Whitfield’s Brandi. When the two finally get together, he promptly tries to ditch Brandi, who then seeks revenge.
When asked if she feels Darnell earns the payback, Whitfield told Page Six, “Well, the thing is, hurt people hurt people. I told him … I gave him guidelines, so in that state of mind she was in, he deserved everything he got. But in fact, if a man or any human being deserves to be hurt like that … that kind of abuse, the thing to do is to walk away.”
She continues: “Just know that that person is not the right one for you. She did tell him, ‘Don’t tell me you love me if you don’t.’ But when he did say he loved her and she realized who he really was — the thing to do then is walk away.
“The easiest thing to do is say bye-bye. But when I was standing with the gun staring down at the barrel, I thought: ‘I know I am doing this for all women.This is not just for me but this is for all women because our hearts are taken for granted far too often.’
“[I’m] not saying women don’t do the same, but on the whole, we suffer from a lot of low self-esteem from disappointment and love. Young men approach me and say, ‘Mrs. Whitfield, you taught me to be a better man.’ I really do pay attention and that means something to me.
“[‘A Thin Line Between Love and Hate’] is not disposable entertainment. It is art that can be used over and over and over again. When it doesn’t go away and stays it become a classic. The theme is so real to humanity. People will always be able to use that mirror to help themselves and that is part of what I love about this work.”