The Shade Room

The Shade Room
Type of site
Entertainment News
Available inEnglish
EditorAngelica Nwandu
URLwww.theshaderoom.com
CommercialYes
LaunchedMarch 2014 (2014-03)
Current statusActive

The Shade Room (TSR) is a media company, founded by Angelica Nwandu in March 2014. Instagram-based, The Shade Room offers celebrity and trending news on an hourly basis, predominantly within the African American community; The New York Times called it the "TMZ of Instagram".[1][2] "Shade" in this case refers to a slang term for quips or wisecracks, especially those made with the intent of debasing their target(s).[1] As of 2024, the platform has also evolved to cover political news.[3]

Nwandu lives and works from Los Angeles and employs a staff of forty working on The Shade Room.[2] The Shade Room has also been compared to MediaTakeOut with one exception, the majority of The Shade Room's news is reported primarily on Instagram.[1]

Format

Nwandu avoided the typical blog format in favor of publishing full-length stories on Instagram.[2] Nwandu found Instagram suited to her vision for The Shade Room due to its image-based format.[4] After getting established in the Instagram format, the site was then expanded to include community news, trending news, and user interaction. The Shade Room refers to readers as "roommates", who often provide leads on celebrities to The Shade Room personnel.[5]

Readers of The Shade Room are called "Roommates" because they "live" in The Shade Room, some visitors return on a daily basis.[6]

By the end of 2015, the site was reported to have 2.6 million followers,[7] although the company has less than a dozen employees.

In June 2016, Cosmopolitan reported that The Shade Room's followers across platforms totaled more than eight million people.[8]

The site now boasts more than 28.1 million followers and has since launched a new brand, The Shade Room Teens, that has 4.8 million followers.[9]

The high readership has drawn celebrity attention to The Shade Room and some have even participated directly on the site. Nwandu no longer is the primary voice of the site, having stepped back to allow others participate.[10]

In October 2020, The Shade Room reported 21 million followers on its Instagram account.

Coverage

On October 10, 2015, The Shade Room was one of the first to report that Lamar Odom was found at Dennis Hof's Love Ranch in Nevada.[11]

On December 12, 2015, Countess Vaughn, former star of the hit show Moesha posted an apology to Brandy on Instagram. This apology was monumental as Brandy told Vibe Magazine in 1998 that Vaughn left the show out of jealousy. The Shade Room was the first to report the apology with platforms like Vibe, Black Entertainment Television and Rolling Out Magazine covering the story shortly thereafter.[7]

In January 2016, The Shade Room covered the love triangle brewing between Soulja Boy, Nia Riley and Nas Smith, all reality stars from the hit show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. This controversy sparked an original song where The Shade Room was mentioned in the lyrics.[12] In an interview with The Shade Room in 2017, rapper Ludacris shut down online discourse that his music career was done.[13] In April 2018, The Shade Room was one of the first outlets to break the news that NBA athlete Tristan Thompson was cheating on Khloé Kardashian throughout her pregnancy.[14]

In April 2019, The Shade Room announced a step into original programming with three new series: Petty Court, Struggle Chef, and F-boy Chronicles.[15] Publishing interviews in 2020 with Former President Barack Obama, Former Vice President Kamala Harris, Former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams, and Presidential Candidate Joe Biden, The Shade Room encouraged U.S. citizens to register to vote, contributing to the 2020 U.S. presidential election of President Joe Biden.[16] That year, The Shade Room was Instagram's third most actively engaged account.[17]

In August 2021, The Shade Room reported that Barry Hankerson would revive Blackground Records under the name Blackground Records 2.0 and introduce singer Autumn Marini as the label's first artist.[18] In December 2021, The Shade Room published an interview with NeNe Leakes in which she confirmed that she had begun dating again following the death of her husband, Gregg Leakes.[19] That year, Comscore's Shareablee rankings listed The Shade Room as the top social brand by cross-platform engagement and the leading U.S. media publisher by total social actions.[20]

In November 2022, The Shade Room launched TSR Shop, a community-driven e-commerce platform featuring Black-owned brands. The launch coincided with efforts by African-American online shoppers to support Black-owned businesses, a trend that linked to efforts to address the racial wealth gap.[21][22][23] In 2023, The Shade Room shared an exclusive statement from Dwight Howard and his legal team amidst his involvement in a sexual assault case.[24] The statement claimed that the Howard had never assaulted anyone, and the case was dismissed a year later.[25][26]

In 2024, The Shade Room interviewed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the U.S. presidential election campaign.[27] In 2026, The Shade Room went viral for an interview clip with Raven-Symoné, in which the former Disney Channel child actress shared a controversial list of fellow Disney actors who belong on the Disney "Mount Rushmore."[28]

Accolades

The Shade Room received several notable awards, including:

Awards and recognition
YearWork / EntryAwardCategoryResultRef
2018The Shade RoomBET Social AwardsBest TeaWon[29]
2024The Shade RoomBET Hip Hop AwardBest Hip Hop PlatformNominated[30]
2024Bad Boys 4 x Sony Pictures EntertainmentDigiday AwardsBest CreativeFinalist[31]
2025The Shade RoomShorty Awards (17th Annual)Site of the YearWon[32]
2025My Black Job x Harris For PresidentDigiday AwardsBest Use of SocialFinalist[33]
2025My Black Job x Harris For PresidentTelly AwardsSocial Impact (Branded Content)Silver Winner[34]
2025My Black Job x Harris For PresidentShorty Impact Awards (10th Annual)Government & PoliticsGold Honor[35]
2025My Black Job x Harris For PresidentMarCom AwardsSocial Media Marketing CampaignPlatinum Winner[36]
2025Roomie Diaries x Gilead/HealthysexualShorty Impact Awards (10th Annual)Healthcare & PharmaGold Honor[37]
2025Roomie Diaries x Gilead/HealthysexualMarCom AwardsSocial Media Marketing CampaignPlatinum Winner[38]
2025Hot & Ain't Bothered x AstellasMarCom AwardsSocial Media Marketing CampaignGold Winner[39]
2026TSR Investigates: Are Your Braids Poisoning You? Inside the Toxic Synthetic Hair IndustryShorty Awards (18th Annual)News & MediaFinalist[40]
2026Don Lemon Cooks Mom's Succotash Recipe, Talks Elon, Wedding Guests and More! (Dishin' It)Telly AwardsOnline – General News & News FeatureBronze Winner[41]
2026Surviving Epstein: Lisa Phillips Opens Up About Grooming, Power, and Speaking Her Truth (Stepping Into The Shade Room)Telly AwardsOnline – General Interview & Talk ShowBronze Winner[42]
2026Surviving Epstein: Lisa Phillips Opens Up About Grooming, Power, and Speaking Her Truth (Stepping Into The Shade Room)Webby AwardsInterview or Talk Show (Video/Film)Won[43]
2026Surviving Epstein: Lisa Phillips Opens Up About Grooming, Power, and Speaking Her Truth (Stepping Into The Shade Room)Webby Awards – People's VoiceInterview or Talk Show (Video/Film)Won[44]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wortham, Jenna (2015-04-14). "Instagram's TMZ". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  2. 1 2 3 "Step Into #TheShadeRoom With Angelica Nwandu". NBC News. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  3. ↑ "The Shade Room built a massive Black audience. Candidates want in". The Washington Post.
  4. ↑ Wortham, Jenna (2015-04-14). "Instagram's TMZ". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  5. ↑ "The Shade Room Is Ruthless, Uplifting and Unapologetically Black". ELLE. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  6. ↑ "About Us - Media and Entertainment Industry - The Shade Room". theshaderoom.com. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  7. 1 2 "The Shade Room Is Coming For The Gossip Industry's Wig". BuzzFeed. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  8. ↑ Wood Rudulph, Heather (June 20, 2016). "How I Started My Own Company Using My Instagram Account". Cosmopolitan.
  9. ↑ Solomon, Jadriena (2025-05-08). "Okay! Joseline Hernandez Turns Heads Showin' Off New Look In Sultry Photos". The Shade Room. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  10. ↑ "Want Exclusives From Khloe Kardashian? Launch Your Media Company on Instagram". Re/code. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  11. ↑ "Want Exclusives From Khloe Kardashian? Launch Your Media Company on Instagram". Re/code. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  12. ↑ ""Trying to Make It to The Shade Room": Soulja Boy and Nia Went All In on Nas on Instagram". VH1 News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  13. ↑ Lamarre, Carl (2017-08-30). "Ludacris Shuts Down Claims His Music Career Is 'Dead'". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  14. ↑ Jones, Allie (2018-04-11). "What's Going On With Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson?". The Cut. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  15. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2019-04-25). "The Shade Room, a Top Instagram Celebrity and Gossip Publisher, Unveils First Slate of Original Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  16. ↑ "How The Shade Room harnessed its massive community to register people to vote". Nieman Lab. Archived from the original on 2025-01-20. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  17. ↑ Williams, Tommy. "Meet Angelica Nwandu: Founder Of The Shade Room, Instagram's 3rd Most Engaged Profile". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  18. ↑ Inman, DeMicia (2021-08-05). "Aaliyah's Estate Shares Statement On "Unauthorized Projects" After Former Label Teases Release Of Her Music". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  19. ↑ Uwumarogie, Victoria. "NeNe Leakes Confirms She's Dating Designer Nyonisela Sioh: 7 Things To Know About Him". Essence. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  20. ↑ "The State of Social Media in the U.S. 2021" (PDF).
  21. ↑ Thompson, Jazmine Denise. "Visions From God: How The Shade Room Founder Angelica Nwandu Went From Unemployed to Media Trailblazer". EBONY. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  22. ↑ "Black spending power reaches record $1.6 trillion, but net worth falls". CNBC. 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  23. ↑ Baruch, Yolanda. "Angelica Nwandu, The Shade Room Founder, Launches New E-Commerce Platform To Amplify Black Businesses". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  24. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  25. ↑ "Sexual assault lawsuit against Dwight Howard dropped". ABC News. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  26. ↑ "Sexual assault lawsuit against Dwight Howard dropped". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  27. ↑ "The simple reason Kamala Harris is on The Shade Room". NBC News. 2024-10-18. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  28. ↑ "Raven-Symoné reveals her Disney Channel Mount Rushmore: Shia LaBeouf is in, but 'not Miley'".
  29. ↑ "Star power, #BlackGirlMagic make inaugural BET Social Awards a hit". The Atlanta Voice'. February 12, 2018. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  30. ↑ "BET Hip Hop Awards 2024: Winners". BET. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  31. ↑ "Amazon, Forbes Media, EssenceMediacom and Universal Pictures are finalists for this year's Digiday Awards". Digiday. September 17, 2024. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  32. ↑ "17th Annual Shorty Awards: Meet the Creators of the Year". Shorty Awards. May 14, 2025. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  33. ↑ "Warner Bros. Discovery, Critical Mass and Instacart are finalists for this year's Digiday Awards". Digiday. September 16, 2025. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  34. ↑ "My Black Job". Telly Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  35. ↑ "My Black Job". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  36. ↑ "My Black Job". MarCom Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  37. ↑ "Roomie Diaries". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  38. ↑ "Roomie Diaries". MarCom Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  39. ↑ "Hot & Ain't Bothered". MarCom Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  40. ↑ "Are Your Braids Poisoning You? Inside the Toxic Synthetic Hair Industry". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  41. ↑ "Don Lemon Cooks Mom's Succotash Recipe, Talks Elon, Wedding Guests and More!". Telly Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  42. ↑ "Surviving Epstein: Lisa Phillips Opens Up About Grooming, Power, and Speaking Her Truth". Telly Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  43. ↑ "Surviving Epstein: Lisa Phillips Opens Up About Grooming, Power, and Speaking Her Truth – Stepping Into The Shade Room". The Webby Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
  44. ↑ "Interview or Talk Show – People's Voice Winner". The Webby Awards. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
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