When people search for the Simone Star TV show, they are usually looking for the gritty, soulful heartbeat of Lee Daniels’ Fox musical drama, Star. Let's be real: while the show’s title was literally the name of the lead character, it was often her sister, Simone Davis, who actually kept us glued to the screen.
Brittany O'Grady played Simone with this raw, vibrating vulnerability that felt way too real for a network TV show. She wasn't just a sidekick. She was the anchor. If you’ve ever watched a show and felt like one character was carrying the entire emotional weight of the world on their shoulders, that was Simone.
The Simone Star TV Show Connection: Who Was She Really?
Simone Davis was the 16-year-old sister of Star Davis. She was the one who went through the absolute ringer. We first meet her in a nightmare scenario—stuck in an abusive foster home while her sister is off trying to build a music career. The pilot episode doesn't pull any punches. Star literally has to rescue her from a foster father, Otis Leecan, in a scene that was honestly pretty hard to watch.
Basically, Simone represents the "why" behind the group Take 3. Star wanted fame, Alex wanted to escape her famous father’s shadow, but Simone? Simone just wanted a family. She wanted safety.
A Journey Through Trauma and Music
Throughout the three seasons of the show, Simone’s arc was a rollercoaster of addiction, recovery, and self-discovery. She wasn't the "perfect" pop star. She was messy. She struggled with substance abuse because, honestly, how could she not after everything she’d been through?
✨ Don't miss: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
- Season 1: Focuses on her rescue and the formation of the group in Atlanta.
- Season 2: Explores her legal troubles and her growing relationship with Angel Rivera.
- Season 3: Shows her finding a sense of agency, even as the industry tries to tear the group apart.
It’s kind of wild to look back and see how much O'Grady brought to the role. She had this way of looking at the camera that told you exactly how much pain she was hiding, even during the upbeat musical numbers.
Why Simone Mattered More Than the Fame
The Simone Star TV show experience—if we’re calling it that—was about the reality of the foster care system and the exploitation of young Black and biracial women in the industry. Simone was biracial, and the show touched on her identity in ways that weren't always comfortable but were definitely necessary.
She wasn't just a "singer." She was a survivor.
The relationship between Simone and Angel Rivera (played by Evan Ross) was one of the few things in the show that felt genuinely sweet. It started as a way to keep her out of juvie—a green card marriage of sorts—but it turned into a real, supportive love. It gave her the stability she never had.
🔗 Read more: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
Breaking Down the Take 3 Dynamic
You can’t talk about Simone without talking about the group. Take 3 consisted of:
- Star Davis: The ambitious, sometimes selfish leader.
- Alexandra Crane: The wealthy, talented songwriter looking for her own identity.
- Simone Davis: The emotional core and the "glue" that often kept the other two from killing each other.
They moved to Atlanta to live with Carlotta Brown, played by the legendary Queen Latifah. Carlotta was their mother’s best friend and became their surrogate mother. The chemistry in that house was electric.
The Legacy of Simone and Brittany O'Grady
When Star was canceled after Season 3, fans were devastated. We never got a real ending. We saw Simone finally starting to find her voice as an individual, not just Star’s little sister.
Brittany O'Grady has gone on to do some incredible things since then—you've probably seen her in The White Lotus or Little Voice. But for a lot of us, she will always be Simone. She gave a voice to kids who grew up in the system and felt like they didn't have a choice in their own lives.
💡 You might also like: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
Honestly, the show was at its best when it focused on the bond between the sisters. Yeah, the music was great—"I Bring Me" is still a bop—but the heart was always in the kitchen with Carlotta, or in the back of a van, with Simone just trying to find a reason to smile.
Moving Forward with the Music
If you're revisiting the series or discovering it for the first time, look past the glitter and the drama. Focus on Simone's growth.
- Listen to the lyrics: Many of Simone's solos reflect her internal struggle with her past.
- Watch the background: O'Grady often acts her heart out even when she's not the focus of a scene.
- Follow the actors: The cast remains close, which speaks to the environment they created while filming those heavy scenes.
The best way to honor the legacy of the show is to support the real-life causes it highlighted. Look into organizations that support youth aging out of foster care or those providing mental health resources for survivors of abuse. That's the real "Simone" move.