Wyllisa Bennett | publicist du jour
(Translation: French, “publicist of the day”)
With more than 20 years of experience, Wyllisa Bennett has honed her skills as an award-winning writer, communicator and public relations practitioner. A North Carolina native, Wyllisa relocated to Los Angeles in 2001, and continued her career as a writer and entertainment publicist. She founded wrb public relations, a boutique public relations agency that specializes in entertainment publicity.
As an entertainment publicist, Wyllisa uses her creative and communication skills to help celebrities, filmmakers, tv personalities and experts, authors, non-profit organizations and companies achieve their public relations and marketing goals.
She has worked with a plethora of award-winning actors, reality stars, media personalities, filmmakers, authors and household names, including reality stars NeNe Leakes (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” “Glee”), Brandi Maxiell (“Basketball Wives LA”), Alexis Bellino (“Real Housewives of Orange County”) and two-time Emmy Award-winning celebrity hairstylist Kiyah Wright (“Love in the City”); actress and reality star Drew Sidora (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” VH1’s “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” and BET’s “The Game”) and her housewife hubby, Ralph Pittman Jr.; plus award-winning actors Isaiah Washington (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “The 100”), Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Moesha,” “Designing Women” and “Instant Mom”), Kym Whitley (“Raising Whitley,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Victoria Rowell (“The Young and the Restless,” “Diagnosis Murder”); as well as radio personality and filmmaker Russ Parr (“The Russ Parr Show”) and radio personality and comedian J. Anthony Brown (“The Tom Joyner Morning Show,” “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” and TV One’s “The Rickey Smiley Show”); and comedians and actors Luenell and David A. Arnold – just to name a few.
Wyllisa has worked on numerous film campaigns, and served for five years as a media consultant and publicist of record for the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), the nation’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival, held annually in Los Angeles. In 2020, Wyllisa was tapped as the festival’s communications director in a record-breaking year, featuring selected 225 films, representing 52 countries in 26 different languages. It was also a shining moment for PAFF where 81 female directors helmed films at PAFF. She is also the publicist of record for the Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers West (BADWest), which advocates the recognition and professional advancement of Black documentary filmmakers.
Along with movies and movie stars, Wyllisa has also worked with various non-profit organizations, promoting their charity events and messages of social change. She’s also facilitated various pr campaigns for celebrities, who’ve used their influence for the awareness of social issues, such as foster care, HIV/AIDS prevention and the LGBTQ community. Plus, she’s helmed pr campaigns for non-profit organizations to advance their messages of social change.
A native of North Carolina, she’s held positions with Community Pride magazine and The Charlotte Observer as assistant to the publisher/staff writer and special sections writer, respectively in Charlotte, North Carolina. She also served as director of public relations & marketing at the Levine Museum of the New South.
During her undergraduate studies at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, N.C., Wyllisa served as a communications aide (state intern) at the Office of Lieutenant Governor, the honorable Robert B. Jordan III in Raleigh, N.C. She received a bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in media journalism at NCCU.
In February 2020, Wyllisa was recognized at City Hall as a part of Black History Month by the office of LA City Councilman President Emeritus Herb Wesson. Known throughout the industry as the “publicist du jour,” she was honored for her long track record of pr success and service in the arts and entertainment.