You know that feeling when you're watching a show and you absolutely despise a character, but the second they leave the screen, you’re just waiting for them to come back? That is the Mallory Bellaire effect.
Mallory Beauty in Black isn't just a name or a business; it’s a whole mood—mostly a terrifying one. Played by the incredible Crystle Stewart, Mallory is the polished, bob-wearing nightmare at the center of Tyler Perry’s Netflix hit. She’s the CEO of a multi-billion dollar hair care empire, and honestly, she makes corporate sharks look like goldfish.
If you’ve been keeping up with the chaos in the Bellaire family, you know Mallory is a lot. She’s got this "perfect" life on the surface, but underneath? It’s all lawsuits, hit-and-runs, and a temper that could melt steel. People are obsessed with her because she’s not your typical "mean girl." She’s a survivalist who grew up in foster care and fought her way to the top of a dynasty she married into.
The Duality of Mallory: CEO vs. Sociopath
Mallory is basically the queen of code-switching. One minute she’s in a boardroom looking like a million bucks, talking about empowering women through her scholarship program. The next? She’s screaming at her husband Roy or telling her head of security, Jules, to make someone "disappear."
It’s wild to watch.
The Mallory Beauty in Black storyline really kicks off when she realizes her company is facing massive lawsuits. Apparently, her relaxers are causing cancer. Instead of, you know, being a decent human and fixing it, she goes full villain mode. She’s willing to kill to keep her reputation intact.
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That Infamous Hit-and-Run
Let’s talk about the moment that changed everything. Mallory is driving like a maniac because she’s stressed about Roy’s cheating (with Kimmie, because of course). She hits a pedestrian. Does she stop? Nope. She just keeps going.
The kicker? The woman she hit was Ina, the wife of Norman Bellaire. That’s her own family. The coldness she showed in that moment—telling Roy later that the woman was "up in age" and was going to die anyway—was peak Mallory. It’s that lack of empathy that makes her so fascinatingly hated.
Crystle Stewart: The Woman Behind the Bob
It’s kind of funny because Crystle Stewart is basically the polar opposite of Mallory. In real life, Stewart is a former Miss USA who doesn’t even cuss. She’s mentioned in interviews that she wasn’t sure she could even play someone this intense.
- The Look: That blunt "long bob" was Stewart’s idea. She wanted a style that looked sharp and intentional.
- The Method: She had to tap into a much darker place than her previous roles in For Better or Worse or House of Payne.
- The Vibe: On set, she and Taylor Polidore Williams (who plays her rival, Kimmie) are actually best friends. They’re both from Houston and both Virgos.
Seeing the behind-the-scenes "family" vibe makes the onscreen hatred even more impressive. When Mallory looks at Kimmie like she’s something she stepped in, that’s pure acting.
Why Kimmie and Mallory Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
There's a lot of talk about how Kimmie and Mallory are "mirrors." It’s true. They both came from nothing. They both have abandonment issues. They’re both trying to survive in a world that wasn't built for them.
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The difference is how they handle the power.
By the time we get into the thick of the series, we see Kimmie starting to rise. She goes from being a stripper at Jules' club to being the COO of Mallory Beauty in Black. This is Mallory’s worst nightmare. Seeing someone from the "streets" enter her boardroom is a direct threat to the image she’s spent years cultivating.
The Struggle for the Throne
In the more recent episodes, the power dynamic shifts. Kimmie isn't the underdog anymore. She’s the "new Mrs. Bellaire" and she’s not taking Mallory’s disrespect.
Mallory, on the other hand, is spiraling. Her "foster care" toughness is being tested by corporate sabotage and family secrets. You almost—almost—feel bad for her when you realize her father abandoned her at five years old. It explains the anger, but it doesn't excuse the literal murder plots.
What Most People Get Wrong About Mallory
A lot of fans just see her as "the mean boss," but she’s way more complex. She’s a woman who knows exactly how the world views her. She knows that as a Black woman in a high-power position, she has to be twice as good and ten times as tough.
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But she took that toughness and turned it into a weapon.
She’s not just protecting her money; she’s protecting the only identity she has. Without the "Beauty in Black" brand, who is she? Just another girl from the system. That fear of being "nothing" again is what drives every terrible decision she makes.
Moving Forward with the Bellaire Dynasty
If you're looking to really understand the layers of this character, there are a few things you should pay attention to during your next rewatch:
- Her interactions with Horace: Watch how she seeks approval from the patriarch while simultaneously trying to outmaneuver him.
- The wardrobe shifts: Notice how her clothes become more like armor as the legal threats against the company mount.
- The silences: Some of Crystle Stewart’s best work happens when she’s just staring someone down. The "quiet" Mallory is often more dangerous than the screaming one.
The world of Mallory Beauty in Black is messy, toxic, and incredibly addictive. Whether she ends up in a boardroom or a prison cell by the series finale, one thing is for sure: she’s not going down without a fight.
To get the full picture of Mallory's descent, keep an eye on how she handles the "Jules" situation in the upcoming episodes. Her reliance on a fixer like Jules is her biggest vulnerability. If he flips, her whole empire crumbles. Pay close attention to the dialogue in their private scenes—it's where the real Mallory usually hides.