Outgoing New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has reportedly struck a deal to star in a reality TV series that will document her final months in office, a move she claims will generate “new revenue streams” for the cash-strapped city.
According to insiders, Cantrell secured the majority of production revenue for what she called “doing the work that needs to be done,” leaving the city a symbolic cut “as it relates to transparency and accountability.”
“Teedy is gonna meet the people where they are — on today, on yesterday, on tomorrow — from City Hall all the way to the French Riviera, wherever I have to go to connect with them,” Cantrell said. “As it relates to me, I’ve been doing the work, carrying the weight, showing up every day, even as I face allegation after allegation after allegation. This is about telling my story, about New Orleans shining through me, and about making sure the record shows that Teedy has always been on the front lines, doing the work while the cameras do theirs.”
City staff, meanwhile, expressed concern that “craft services” had already been billed to municipal credit cards, with receipts showing line items for imported sparkling water, personal stylists, and multiple ring lights. One aide admitted, “We thought this was for council meetings until the boom mic showed up.”
The arrangement comes just days after Cantrell proposed $74 million in new taxes and fees to plug the city’s looming budget hole, telling council members, “We need revenues, that’s big, to meet us where we are. The nickel and diming won’t work.” While critics argue her reality TV plan won’t come close to filling the shortfall, insiders say a source close to the mayor is “optimistic about international syndication rights and at least one classic Hawaii episode, if not several in various exotic locales.”
Skeptics also question whether Cantrell will be willing to remain on camera for long stretches, pointing to her past complaints when security cameras near the Pontalba Apartments caught her scandalously spending days and nights there with her companion, footage she previously condemned as an invasion of privacy. They add that while the show may boost her profile, it rarely works out for the city. As one longtime observer put it, “New Orleans has seen this show before, and the reruns weren’t any better the second time.”
Production is expected to begin immediately, with Cantrell promising it will stream “everywhere.” Sources clarified that the deal is already struck — she just has to tell Netflix about it. Working titles include Teedy: Doing the Work, As It Relates to Me, and Teedy Ta-da.