Belinda from White Lotus Owes you Nothing
Black women deserve to win too.
I wasn’t going to write this, but upon digesting the finale of White Lotus Season 3 I felt that it would be a huge disservice to the world…so let’s get into it…
PSA there will be spoilers ahead that are directly related to Seasons 1, Seasons 2, and Seasons 3 of White Lotus. Skip this essay for now and come back to it when you are caught up!
Can we please talk about the beautiful family that was Belinda and Zion?! Not only do these two seem to have a genuinely healthy bond. Belinda wants the best for her son and he ultimately wants the best for her as well. The combo of requesting more is something that we rarely see on television; especially through the lens of a black woman asking…dare I say insisting from a white man.
🚨Season One Recap🚨
Fast forward to season one, when Belinda first met fan-favorite Tanya. played by Jennifer Coolidge). Tanya shows up to the White Lotus and has a life altering massage healing session with Belinda, so much so that she decides to invest in her via helping Belinda start a spa. At the end of season one Tanya delivers news to Belinda that she has fallen for a man she met during her time at the White Lotus (Greg) and that she can no longer invest in Belinda’s dream. This is devastating for Belinda.
🚨Season Two Recap🚨
In season two Tanya dies in a wild gay yachting incident involving her on DL husband (yes really for all of those of you who don’t actually watch WL, but still support my writing). Leaving Greg to her billions.
🚨Season Three Recap🚨
Belinda is reintroduced to the series in season three. She immediately starts developing feelings for her Pornchai who has immersed her in some Thai wellness techniques that she will have the ability to take back with her to White Lotus Maui. The two agree that they might want to collab on a business venture together. She immediately recognizes Greg, Tanya’s widowed husband…and calls him out.
Greg offers Belinda to fund her dream as per Tanya’s late wishes…you know…hush money. The cost he is willing to invest? $100,000. Belinda’s son Zion is brought up to speed on this financial matter while visiting her in Thailand to get in on the vacation action.
Zion immediately proposes that they both meet about the funds, because frankly $100,000 as hush money. Zion, who is a new MBA grad who went to the University of Hawaii. Zion explains to Greg that this is far too low. He also mentions that he is well aware of the fortune that he was able to fully obtain with the passing of his wife. Remember folks, Tanya was worth a least one billion. The scene goes on for a bit longer, Zion and Tanya even improved a little bit of a dramatic walkout moment.
This brings us to the hot topic that is circulating the internet.
Does Belinda deserve the negotiated amount of $5,000,000?
The short answer: Absolutely.
The long answer: Tanya decides to center a man and not focus on the previous engagement that she made to Belinda. Incidentally, upon getting the funds she tells Pornchai that she’s going to be going in a different direction. She cuts off the potential of a romantic dynamic AND a business dynamic.
What Greg did to his deceased wife is horrific, however on a deeper level…once again black women are getting shafted in terms of pay.
Incase you live under a rock or have not checked your privilege: black women and hispanic women are reported to be the lowest earners in the workforce as seen in the graph below from SSA.
Our girl Belinda was able to negotiate a 4900% increase with the help of her sweet son. The bond the two of them have not only seems incredibly genuine…but unlike some of the families we’ve seen over the course of three seasons: Zion and Belinda are supportive of each other. We do not see this sort of authenticity throughout the season. Like…Tim Ratliff tried to literally poison his family.
The relationship between a black parent and their child hitting a major milestone, such as an MBA is such a win. HUGE to be honest. Because of their proposal, they were able to obtain not only what they deserved but also what it would realistically be worth for this dream of Belinda’s. Even if she chose not to invest in the business, she has the opportunity to live a soft life. We do not know Belinda’s situation; aside from her being a working class woman who lives in Maui…but 5 million dollars is life changing money…and given her excitement it was more than enough for her to chase her dreams…or chill for the rest of her life.
There is a strange resentment on the internet toward Belinda and Zion.
I’ve seen quite a few posts about how bad Zion’s negotiating skills were; to which I disagree. His approach was something I have witnessed others succeed in doing. It was also just that ‘his approach’.
Given the current administrative morons parties in charge, seeing black joy of this magnitude on a major television was the little glimmer of hope I needed to see on my Sunday evening. To state that she turned ‘evil lowkey’ is outlandish, because remember…this was an offer Greg proposed. She could have said no, but she chose to move forward.
From one black healer to another, we are tired. We hold space for so many, without getting a fraction of what we are truly worth due to conscious and subconscious discrimination.
I find it strange that this matter seems to have ruffled feathers far more than the literal incest between brothers Saxton and Lochlan.
Black folks, especially black women deserve the best. We deserve love. We deserve respect. We deserve millions and so much more. This was not just hush money, but a sort of reparations for those who receive so much more for far less or simply being born into the right family.