By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
On Jan. 7, 2025, businessman, actor and popular media personality. Jason Lee – who is the CEO, host and owner of the popular media platform Hollywood Unlocked — was sworn into office as a Stockton City Councilmember, representing the city’s 6th District.
He will also serve as Vice Mayor.
Lee, a Stockton native, rose to prominence in the entertainment industry, after overcoming numerous disadvantages in his childhood, including abuse, poverty, homelessness, foster care and violence. Lee details some of these experiences in his memoir titled “God Must Have Forgotten About Me.”
Despite facing numerous setbacks as a young man, Lee says he has dedicated his life to serving others. He began his career in education and probation before transitioning to labor relations. In 2009, he became a Labor Representative for the California Nurses Association in Los Angeles, where he negotiated contracts for registered nurses in private hospitals.
During his time in LA, Lee connected with various influential figures in the entertainment industry and began documenting his experiences on a website he created. In 2015, he founded Hollywood Unlocked, which currently has 3.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.9 million on Facebook.
When Lee announced that he was expanding his focus and running to serve on the city council in his hometown, many in the political arena questioned his motives for running.
Lee recently spoke with California Black Media and shared what drove his decision, the strategy behind his successful campaign, and his plans as he takes office.
“For some, I am reduced to a blogger and a reality star who spills the tea,” said Lee.
“Thankfully they did that. And I was able to put my head down and focus on organizing a phenomenal campaign, finding like-minded people, getting Kevin Hart, Floyd Mayweather and other friends like Babyface, Cardi B and people who had a platform and money to pour into my campaign — and a slate of four candidates running for city council positions. They supported all four of us and we all won. So, now, for the first time ever, you have a slate of people who are all aligned.”
Lee says his motivation to run for office was first sparked by a tragedy at Stagg High School in Stockton, where he used to work and attended as a youth.
Last year, a 15-year-old student, Alicia Reynaga, was stabbed and killed by an intruder on the high school’s campus. After the tragedy, Lee returned home to offer emotional support to the students along with actress Tiffany Haddish. He also planned to work with the city to fund programming to support youth in the city but grew frustrated by the political posturing and red tape he encountered from city authorities at the time.
“Once I saw the politicking around that tragedy, I tried to find people to run. Nobody wanted to run; nobody believed anything could change. So, I called my executive team, moved everything around, and made the decision to run.”
Lee says his campaign was fueled by the memories and lessons of his experiences growing up in Stockton. endured. He realizes that many residents in his district are going through challenges similar to the ones he endured.
“I’m the face of everything they talk about. People politicize topics like homelessness, but you can’t talk to me about homelessness because I was homeless; you can’t talk to me about foster care or young people transitioning out of foster care because that was me; you can’t talk to me about gun violence and crime because not only was I a survivor of that but I watched my brother get murdered. I know what it takes to be able to navigate all of those experiences,” says Lee.
While in office, Lee wants to focus on issues like rent stabilization, police accountability and food deserts. He also plans to launch a voter registration education campaign to get younger and progressive thinkers involved in the political process.
“I ain’t in it to be a politician. I’m in it to be a public servant. On my day job, I may spill the
tea, which, in my opinion, stands for the truth, trust, and transparency of my entertainment business. We’re going to spill the tea in Stockton, too. Truth, trust, and transparency.”
While Lee still plans to continue running his entertainment business, he understands his approach to his new position will need to be different from the branded personality the public now associates with his Hollywood Unlocked image.
“I can’t be as reckless in my delivery as I am sometimes over there, because real lives are impacted by the words that I choose over here, and the decisions that I make over here have a very significant impact to people who have entrusted me to and given me to help change what they’re experiencing,” Lee says.
“I take the obligation very seriously,” he added.
