(L-R) Lena Waithe and Scott Evans attend The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen's House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)
Last week, to celebrate the forthcoming May 16 season 7 premiere of The Chi, Paramount+ with Showtime held an event to showcase the strength, power, resilience, and power of Black women — and that is definitely present throughout the season as seen in the trailer.
Created by Lena Waithe, the GLAAD Media Award-nominated drama finished season six with the shocking death Douda (Curtiss Cook) at the hands of — wait for it — Nuck (Cortez Smith), his right-hand man. Naturally, Douda’s mother Alicia (Lynn Whitfield) wants answers… and revenge.
The event, appropriately titled “The Chi Experience: Home for Her” included an exclusive screening of the first episode of season 7 ahead of its May 16 premiere. Cast members, writers, and other artisans from the series attended the event as well as influencers and actors.
After the episode, Scott Evans had a conversation with Waithe about how far The Chi has come since its 2018 premiere (the series has also assembled its writers room for season 8) and the heavy emphasis on the power of Black women and community this season.
The Chi season 7 debuts May 16 on Paramount+ with Showtime.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Lena Waithe speaks onstage during The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (L-R) Lena Waithe and Scott Evans speak onstage during The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (L-R) Michael V. Epps, Zaria Imani Primer, Scott Evans, Shamon Brown Jr., Lena Waithe, Cortez Smith, Kennedy Glover, Hannaha Hall, Joel Stingold, Genesis Denise Hale and Ahmad Nicholas Ferguson attend The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (L-R) Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Milauna Jackson attend The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (L-R) Lena Waithe and Vivica A. Fox attend The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (L-R) Janaya ‘Future’ Khan, Brian Michael Smith and Ahmad Nicholas Ferguson attend The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: (L-R) Shamon Brown Jr., Kennedy Glover, Zaria Imani Primer and Genesis Denise Hale attend “The Chi” S7 | ‘Home For Her’ Premiere Event in LA at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paramount+)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Branding seen during “The Chi” S7 | ‘Home For Her’ Premiere Event in LA at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paramount+)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Lena Waithe speaks onstage during The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Guests attend The Chi Season 7 LA Premiere Event at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Paramount)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Branding is seen on fan during “The Chi” S7 | ‘Home For Her’ Premiere Event in LA at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paramount+)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Branding seen during “The Chi” S7 | ‘Home For Her’ Premiere Event in LA at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paramount+)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Branding seen during “The Chi” S7 | ‘Home For Her’ Premiere Event in LA at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paramount+)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Branding seen during “The Chi” S7 | ‘Home For Her’ Premiere Event in LA at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paramount+)LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Guests attend during “The Chi” S7 | ‘Home For Her’ Premiere Event in LA at St. Helen’s House on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Paramount+)
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