Former BET Chief Executive Debra Lee is getting candid about her tenure at the cable network in her new memoir, "I Am Debra Lee," sharing advice for women who want to succeed in corporate America, details about her extramarital affair with BET co-founder Bob Johnson and how she stood up to the likes of Aretha Franklin and Oprah Winfrey during her tenure at the company.
"I wanted to give advice to those coming behind me because that's always been part of who I am," Lee told ABC host Robin Roberts Tuesday on "Good Morning America." "I was a counselor in college, in law school, did hiring at the law firm, built a great team at BET. I always thought I was pretty normal — I wasn't the smartest kid in class ... and I just want young people to know if I can do it they can do it too. And they should dream big."
The 68-year-old executive began her career with the network as its first vice president and general counsel in 1986 and was promoted to president and chief operating officer 10 years later. She was named chairman and CEO in 2005 and stepped down in 2018 after a 13-year tenure, during which she shepherded the launch of the Black entertainment network's hit shows "Being Mary Jane," "The Real Husbands of Hollywood" and "In Contempt."
