Hyphenate Media Group Appoints Rachelle Mendez As Head Of Unscripted
EXCLUSIVE: Hyphenate Media Group has appointed Rachelle Mendez as the new Head of Unscripted.
In her new role, Mendez, an 8-time Emmy award-winner, will oversee the development and production of new unscripted television shows for the company, leveraging her extensive background to innovate and expand the company’s portfolio of unscripted content. She will report directly to co-founders, CEO Cris Abrego and CCO Eva Longoria.
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Hyphenate Media Group touts Mendez’s career devoted to “storytelling and an ability to connect with diverse audiences on a global scale” as one of the qualities that prepared her for the new role, as well as her “wealth of experience as a showrunner, producer and developer.”
As co-executive and then executive producer on Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy across five seasons, Mendez was part of the original team behind the relaunch of the series’ reboot for Netflix, which earned her back-to-back Emmy wins for Outstanding Structured Reality Show from 2018 through 2021. She partnered again with Scout, the production company behind Queer Eye, to co-develop The Hype a streetwear competition series that aired on HBO Max for two seasons.
Additional credits include CBS’s Undercover Boss, A&E’s Leah Remini: Scientology & The Aftermath and Netflix’s Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo. Most recently, she served as the showrunner and executive producer for Second Chance Stage on Max/Magnolia.
“Rachelle is in a league of her own when it comes to crafting compelling, culture-defining, unscripted series that span genres for buyers across the marketplace,” shared Abrego. “I am excited to have her formidable creative leadership and vision at Hyphenate, and I look forward to working closely with her to drive our unscripted division forward.”
Longoria added, “I’ve been impressed by Rachelle’s vast knowledge of the unscripted business since meeting her, and I am thrilled to have her here at Hyphenate. The elegance with which approaches a subject matter is second to none—she just knows how to crack a format, tell authentic stories and deliver to audiences again and again.”
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