‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’: Kenya’s Reunion With Jukebox Came From a Good Place, LeToya Luckett Says

Power Book III: Raising Kanan centers on the coming-of-age stories of Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis) and his cousin, Jukebox (Hailey Kilgrove).  Kanan was raised by his drug queenpin mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas’ (Patina Miller). However, Jukebox was abandoned by her mother, Kenya (LeToya Luckett), and left to be raised by her angry and often careless father, Marvin (London Brown).

Now, Kenya has reentered Juke’s life, and the pair seemed to be building something real until Kenya betrayed her daughter. Still, Luckett insists that her character’s initial reactions to Jukebox came from a good place.

Kenya just ruined her relationship with Jukebox on ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

Following the death of her girlfriend, Nicole (Annabelle Zasowski), and being beaten by her father, Marvin, over her sexuality, Jukebox was desperate for a connection with anyone. After finding an old photo of her mother, Kenya, she went looking for her.

Upon finding her mother, she discovered that she had been living in Harlem for years and that she’d become a devout church member. Over the course of season 2, fans have seen Jukebox try and fit the idyllic role of a daughter for Kenya. She’s suppressed her sexuality, worn her hair down, and even donned dresses. However, Kenya seemed to know that Jukebox was a lesbian. Blindsiding her 16-year-old daughter, she lured her into a violent conversion therapy session, ruining their relationship forever.

Kenya’s reunion with Jukebox came from a good place

Kenya’s choices were horrific and shocking. However, Luckett says despite her character’s later mishaps, her initial reunion with her only child came from a good place. “Yes, I think it was her trying to get her time back,” the actor told TV Fanatic. “I think it was her trying to earn her place as a mother again because she knew she made a bad decision before, a selfish decision before. Also, with the church, yes, this might be what you think is a good or the right thing to do, but it might not be who she is or what she wants to represent. This isn’t who she has become. And I do feel that although her intentions were good, a lot of times that it wasn’t the best thing for her.”

Now it looks like Jukebox is done with her mother for good.

We will likely see more of Kenya in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

Jukebox will likely sever ties with Kenya, but we don’t think Kenya will give up that easily. Also, there is so much backstory about the character that we don’t know. While Juke has been told that her mother abandoned her to pursue her dreams as a singer, other people believe that Raq had something to do with Kenya’s absence in Jukebox’s life.

Something isn’t quite adding up here, but it could have been a part of Raq’s ploy to take over the family drug business from Marvin back in the day.