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Princess Sarah Culberson Speaks to Sheen Magazine Exclusively about her story of going from being adopted by an amazing, loving family to later tracking her heritage and discovering she is the Mende princess of Bumpe in Sierra Leone. Now can you imagine that? Finding out you’re a real-life Princess. 

Princess Sarah has shared her story with numerous media outlets, including CNN, GMA, BBC, NowThis, and more. Her life story is in the process of being adapted into a live-action film by Disney, and she was awarded the Impact Award at this year’s Trumpet Awards. We know there is much more success to come for Princess Sarah Culberson. We here at SHEEN magazine caught up with the Princess to learn more about Culberson and her journey. Read her exclusive interview below.

Congratulations on all your success and your Trumpet Awards. Your story is fascinating. How has all this newfound fame been? Do you get recognized everywhere Now?

Thank you so much for the congratulations on the Trumpet Awards! This is an interesting question. I get noticed from time to time but what I experience the most is when I share my story, people will tell me, “I’ve read about your story!” or “I’ve heard about you!” One thing that excites me the most is when I meet young kids who get to see a Black princess represented in a way they may not have seen before.

Tell us about when you discovered you were a Mende princess of Bumpe in Sierra Leone? What was your reaction?

At first, I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t know how to take on that title because when I think of princesses, I think of people who are supposed to be perfect or placed on a pedestal. I didn’t want that, and for a very long time, I wouldn’t claim the title of princess. Then, after talks with some very dear friends, they reminded me that honoring my history and heritage is a part of education and representation. I realized that it is so important to know that being a princess and a part of a royal family is a huge responsibility. Being part of this lineage and this chiefdom is an honor, and I feel that it is crucial to shift the narrative that we, as Black people around the globe, are not descended from enslaved people but are descendants of African kings and queens.

Is being a real-life princess like the fairytale movies? How is your life different now than before you discovered you were a princess? Would you go back to how things were before your discovery?

For me, it isn’t like a fairytale. It is about family, community, and responsibility. I feel like I now have a more profound sense of purpose and goals in life with the work we’re doing in Sierra Leone with our nonprofit and the work around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion globally through my speaking engagements. I would not choose to go back to how things were before my discovery because I have a more profound sense of myself and a bigger family than I could have ever imagined. Things were great before but finding my birth family made things even better. 

I am excited about your live-action Disney movie. What do you hope viewers gather from your film?

I love this question because my writing partner, Tracy Trivas, and I wrote out our intentions for our book A Princess Found, and many of these intentions hold true for the movie. It would be wonderful to have people touched, moved, and inspired through the beauty of forgiveness, the power of family and community, and interest in adoption. I also would love for viewers to gain a deeper understanding of Sierra Leone’s culture and history and the knowledge that there are all kinds of princesses and royalty worldwide.

Whom would you like to see play you in your anticipated live-action film by Disney? Would you consider an open call?

We still aren’t sure whom we want to play me in the movie. We may consider an open call, but we are still figuring out the details as we’re still in the early stages of production.

What are you most proud of accomplishing in your acting career so far?

What I am most excited about accomplishing in my career, whether it be public speaking around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging or talking to large crowds to help with fundraising for our nonprofit Sierra Leone Rising, all of my acting training and learning to speak on a stage has prepared me for everything I’m doing today. All the fun roles that I have had the opportunity to play in theater, TV, and film have been a gift to prepare me for all of my current projects.

Where can fans stay tuned to all your work and can look forward to it? 

Fans can learn more by looking up @IAmPrincessSC across all social media platforms. There is also plenty of information on what our foundation is working on at SierraLeoneRising.org. What you can look forward to seeing in the near future is our upcoming Roblox game and an animation series where children can learn about cultures worldwide.