Jackson, Mississippi’s independent film community continues to create opportunities for Southern stories, emerging talent and authentic representations of life in the city. Among the performers helping bring those stories to the screen is Bella, the actress audiences have come to recognize as Aunt Michelle in the Crosses film franchise.
Bella has appeared in Crosses and its follow-up, Double Crosses, portraying a woman whose strength, loyalty and emotional depth make her an important presence within the unfolding story. Public film credits list Bella as Aunt Michelle in both installments, with the actress returning to the role as the franchise expands with Triple Crosses.
Set against a world shaped by street politics, family ties, ambition, and betrayal, the Crosses films follow characters forced to make difficult decisions when loyalty and survival collide. The original film, released in 2021, centers on two cousins who inherit a Detroit codeine connection after their mentor is mysteriously killed. The story continued in the 2022 sequel, Double Crosses, introducing new complications, shifting alliances, and consequences for the people caught inside the dangerous operation.
While the films feature crime, suspense, and unexpected betrayals, Aunt Michelle provides something equally important: heart.
Throughout the franchise, she represents the women who often hold families and communities together while carrying their own struggles. She is strong without being untouched by pain, protective without being naïve, and resilient without losing her humanity. As the characters around her face the harsh realities of street life, Aunt Michelle serves as an emotional anchor whose choices are guided by love, responsibility, and a desire to protect those closest to her.
Bella’s portrayal brings warmth and familiarity to the character. Aunt Michelle feels like someone audiences may recognize from their own families—the outspoken auntie who sees more than she says, understands the consequences of every decision, and will stand firmly beside the people she loves.
The role also reflects Jackson’s spirit. Rather than separating the character from her Southern surroundings, Bella brings an authenticity that allows Aunt Michelle to feel rooted in the city’s culture. Her performance highlights the perseverance, toughness, and loyalty often found in stories about Black women who have learned to survive difficult circumstances without allowing them to completely harden them.
That emotional complexity has helped Aunt Michelle become one of the franchise’s most memorable characters.
Bella’s work also speaks to the importance of independent filmmaking in Mississippi. Productions such as the Crosses series give local actors opportunities to build their résumés, develop recognizable characters and participate in stories created within their own communities. These projects can introduce audiences to talent that may not yet have the visibility of actors working within major Hollywood studios but possess the presence, discipline and relatability needed to connect with viewers.
With Triple Crosses, the franchise is preparing to continue the story for a third chapter. Promotional material for the upcoming installment identifies Bella as Aunt Michelle once again, demonstrating the character’s continued importance to the world established in the first two films.
Returning to a role across three productions allows an actress to do more than repeat a performance. It creates space to show how a character changes as relationships shift, consequences deepen, and past decisions begin to shape the future. For Aunt Michelle, that evolution is especially meaningful because her journey has always been tied to survival, redemption and the emotional cost of protecting others.
As anticipation builds for Triple Crosses, Bella’s return offers viewers another opportunity to witness the strength and vulnerability she brings to Aunt Michelle. Her presence reminds audiences that even within stories driven by danger and betrayal, some of the most compelling moments come from the people fighting to preserve their families, their dignity and their hope.
Bella may be known as Aunt Michelle to fans of the franchise, but her growing body of work represents something larger: the power of local talent, the value of authentic Southern storytelling and the importance of creating multidimensional roles for Black women on screen.
Through Aunt Michelle, Bella continues to embody perseverance, loyalty and the unmistakable spirit of Jackson, Mississippi.
