Victim No More: The Joan Pendergrass Story

The widow of the late Teddy Pendergrass lived a life full of sexual abuse, abandonment, and cultural dislocation as a young woman before meeting Teddy. Then the chance meeting with him changed her life and his, leading them both to true undying happiness and love.

This is her story.

"I believe that my testimonial will help to lift up some other young girl/ young lady or young boy who is  going through a troubling or frightening time in their life"                   Joan Pendergrass

When Joan Pendergrass, widow of the late R&B music legend Teddy Pendergrass told me her story, I was blown away.  It is said that truth is stranger than fiction and in this case it is true!, Joan's story is the stuff of Hollywood Movies...but it IS real life!. I knew I had to turn her story into a film to share with women who have been victims of sexual abuse to, hopefully, help them find the kind of self empowerment that Joan found!.

We are currently producing the feature length documentary, "Victim No More,” based on Joan’s life. We would like your support and to become a part of this incredible story.  We've rounded second, but need your help to get us all the way home. This inspiring story is for all mothers, sisters, fathers and their daughters.

Joan was a woman who was sexually and emotionally abused, raped, a victim of incest, domestic violence, and abandonment. She has since learned how to reclaim her life and to regain control of it, Joan Pendergrass was a victim. Today, she is  a “Victim No More” and Joan has a story and a testimony to give.

Born out of wedlock as the bi-racial, bi-cultural off-spring of a well-to-do Lebanese father and “black” mother on the commonwealth of Dominica, Joan’s story is both an instructive and cautionary tale that must be experienced to be believed.  A tale of sacrifice, hardship, emotional and physical trauma, but ultimately of triumph through the love she would come to share with Teddy.

Her story is a journey of twists and turns, highs and lows, and fate! The truth of what Joan endured and ultimately accomplished  is much more revealing than any fictional account could ever match.

This educational full length documentary is her journey of her painful history, of her success as a business woman who finally found love for herself and of her love she would come to share with her “Star” and quadriplegic husband Teddy Pendergrass.

Teddy Pendergrass had launched a successful music career releasing four consecutive platinum albums, then a record for an African-American R&B artist. Teddy Pendergrass' career was halted after a near-fatal car crash in March 1982 that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

Although their married bliss was all too brief, cut short by his untimely death, it was this relationship that finally wrests joy from pain and proves her self-worth as not only a survivor but a true  princess warrior of the highest order. 

Throughout all the turmoil she has overcome and been able to build a secure life for herself and a wholesome environment and life for her two daughters and four grand children..

It is through this experience that she shares how a child, teenager and adult that has experienced and suffered from abuse can begin to overcome, begin to heal, and persevere. 

Who Are We

I’m Bob Lott, Executive Producer.  And we’re Teamwork Media Group International (TMGI).  At TMGI our goal is to expand the program offerings available to the American public that feature a wider and more diverse point of view of the African American experience. This has been my commitment since co-producing The Gavin & Lott Show the first nationally syndicated music video entertainment series on broadcast television some thirty years ago.

Other projects from TMGI include: Travel To The Door of No Return, an award winning documentary, and award winner Birth of Black Film, A Cinema Apart that chronicles the rise of independent “black” motion picture production using one of the largest private collections of Black Cinema memorabilia as source material, I Am An American featuring R&B diva Patti LaBelle and Grammy-Award winning producer, Kenny Gamble. TMGI is committed to “changing minds by changing perceptions”.

In addition to producing "Victim No More,” I was a very close friend of Teddy Pendergrass and did a lot of work with him after the accident in 1982 until his death in 2010. I was one of the first people to meet Joan once she became a part of his life. And I had never seen him as a very happy man until he met Joan six years prior to his death.

As soon as we started filming interviews for Joan's story, it became clear this topic resonates. And many of our production crew knew someone who was abused in some way.

We share Joan’s goal of encouraging people of all ages who have been “victims” of sexual assault/harassment to be a "Victim No More.”

What We Need

Our plan upon completion will be to offer a Victim No More as a stand-alone special for premium & advertiser supported cable, broadcast syndication, and/or Video On Demand platforms, as well as the film festival circuit & non-commercial outlets. But before we can get to that finish line we need to cover production costs for more scriptwriting, storyboarding, location scouting, scheduling, obtaining rights and releases, casting/participant selection, selection/coordination of existing footage/photographs, location photography, studio production, video transfers, editing video/audio, computer graphics/animation, recording narration, music selection/production/mixing.

To date, we have done a lot of research on the issues of sexual and domestic abuse, along with co-parenting and the seriousness of abandonment. We’ve filmed Joan, relatives, and several other abused people. Your contributions will allow us to travel to Dominica with the production crew to tell that part of the story in the locations where the traumatic events in her childhood took place. In addition, we will be filming the stories of other women who are now victims no more.

How Your Donation Will Be Used

Making a film at the caliber we have been developing and producing required our own upfront investment and now we are asking for support from backers like you.  We need your help in order to complete the production and post-production.  We have interviewed a small segment of people who have a story of ‘victims in silence.’ There are more stories of those who have been inspired by Joan’s story who have broken their silence.  We still have a lot to go to complete the full story that will help inspire women and men to overcome their dreadful past.  There are costs associated with that for cast and crew, transportation, post-production and distribution, all essential items and processes.

On our funding page, you'll see that with each donation you make, you receive a special gift, a perk from us to you!  We are a team of determined filmmakers who believe in the message of our documentary about Joan, her healing, her inspirational impact and her advocacy for change.  With your help, you will be helping us reach a world audience sharing a world message. 

The Benefits and To Whom

By sharing her story, Joan wants to inspire others through her testimony.  Today she is a motivational speaker and ‘Change Agent”. She is on a warpath for positivity and helping other victims whom she will teach to say, “I am a Victim No More”.  She assures there is a life after the struggle and your past Does Not Dictate Your Future!

The benefits and impact crosses class, age, ethnicity, individuals, whether males or females, children, teens, adults and seniors, all comprising the Community-at-Large.  All organizations who represent these groups and know their members need to have a dialogue on this subject will benefit and be impacted by this inspirational and informational documentary.

Other Ways You Can Help

Can’t contribute now, there are other ways you can help.  Get the word out about Joan and her documentary, the message and how it can help those in need.  Go to social media and talk about the documentary and before you leave Indiegogo use the share tools.

Your efforts add up and can make a huge difference with those that can donate at this time.  And please know you can help by booking her for an inspirational speaking engagement, have a film screening tour with subject matter expert panelist or a town hall community meeting to self-empower the abused and victims.  

We openly invite you to contact us as to how you think this documentary and its messenger and message can be used by your group, church, community to benefit and rebuild those most in need .