Theresa Randle’s time in the “Bad Boys” movie franchise has reportedly come to an end, decades after she starred in the first film.
Variety reported on Wednesday that actor Tasha Smith (“Empire, “For Better or Worse”) will replace Randle as Theresa, the devoted wife of Martin Lawrence‘s Marcus Burnett in the upcoming “Bad Boys 4,” Variety reported this week.
Sony and representatives for Smith did not respond to The Times’ requests for confirmation Friday.
“Bad Boys” stars Lawrence and Will Smith confirmed that a fourth movie is in the works earlier this year. The duo made their “Bad Boys” debut as Miami detectives Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Burnett (Lawrence) in 1995.
The first film made $65.8 million at the worldwide box office. In 2003 came the sequel “Bad Boys II,” which made $273.3 million globally. More than a decade later, Smith and Lawrence returned for “Bad Boys for Life,” which grossed $426.5 million globally.
During her time as Theresa, Randle delivered snarky one-liners about the titular duo’s antics and her husband’s suspected infidelity.
“I’m here to kill my husband,” she deadpanned in one film.
In a 2020 interview about “Bad Boys for Life,” Randle reflected on the dynamic that Theresa shares with Mike and Marcus.
“She still remains laughing at both of them because they want to be so grown, so mature. They’re still the same Mike and Marcus that she’s always known,” she said. “And she still has to come in between them. Nothing has really changed.”
News of Randle’s replacement comes as her fans expressed concern for her well-being. Video of the actor using a walker and wearing purple latex gloves recently made the rounds on social media.
Randle could not be reached for comment, and her former manager and publicist Roger Neal told The Times on Friday that he does not know the context of the video, as he has “not had contact with her for years.”
