Angie Nwandu debuts The Shade Room started in 2014 as a side hustle. Today, that side hustle—which grew from a Instagram— the only celebrity tabloid turned 40-employee media company—reaching 29 million social media enthusiasts by tapping into their penchant for drama.
Shade Room pioneered a unique, albeit somewhat innovative, digital media brand that incorporated elements of fan culture around the celebrity news machine (Shade room (The regulars were called Roomies.) More than just a tabloid or a news aggregator, TSR evolved into an information hub for “the culture,” Nwandu says, “but a reflection of that culture and a voice for that culture. We became known as a megaphone.”
The platform’s main focus is the fragile world of black celebrity. Want to know who NFL quarterback Jalen Hurts is? engaged to or why Naomi Campbell has beef with rihanna?You’re probably wondering why a Louisville woman claim Kanye West “Telegrammed” her to steal a car with kids inside? TSR has you covered.
I recently got on the phone with Nwandu to talk about The Shade Room’s controversial influence and the legacy she wants to leave behind. The platform has slowly expanded into different areas of reporting—politics, investigative reporting, spirituality—and she says it’s all part of a larger plan to eventually move beyond celebrity gossip, which she describes as “tired.”
Nwandu isn’t there yet. The week we spoke, music mogul Diddy was arrested after a grand jury indicted him on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy (he pleaded not guilty), so we talked about that, too—and Nwandu was an open book.
JASON PARHAM: The Shade Room was a pioneer in Instagram-based celebrity news. Today, there are hundreds of accounts doing what you do. How does that make you feel?
ANGIE NWANDU: No one ever said yes to The Shade Room, but we came up with a design that could be replicated. I’m friends with Shawn McKenzie. [founder of The Spiritual Word] and Jason Lee [founder of Hollywood Unlocked]and we had conversations. I had conversations with both of them where I shared tips and advice. I was excited to see that our blueprint could inspire other Black media companies to thrive in their own way. For me, seeing all these platforms succeed is amazing. I’m really proud of that because who wouldn’t want to start something that has a ripple effect?
Shade Room has never shied away from controversy but I think there are editorial guidelines you have to follow. What won’t you post?
If I say what stories, it defeats the purpose. I would say, what we don’t do is expose people. A lot of people send us very explicit stories where they expose people. That’s something we’ve stayed away from. We were a little wild at first, but generally that’s something we’ve stayed away from. I’ve seen the damage it does to people who aren’t willing to come out that way. We’ve tried to stay away from invading privacy in certain areas.
But is there a reason it’s called The Shade Room?
We are trying to change what we post and move towards positivity. We used to post applause all day long and we’ve loosened that up. It’s tough because our name is The Shade Room—like, if Diddy goes to jail, we have to put that up. But there’s a lot of stuff we won’t post. Definitely a dance.
