A Galentine’s Day Soirée Recap With “Not Dead Yet” Star Gina Rodriguez

Ghosts of girlfriends past? Nope, not this time. But ghosts that help this girlfriend live a little… yup, this is totally that. ABC’s Not Dead Yet, starring Golden Globe winner & executive producer, Gina Rodriguez, has become an instant hit since its debut one year ago. Now it’s back for Season 2, premiering tonight on ABC, and Gina threw the most girliest party to celebrate. Our EIC – Erika De La Cruz – joined her Galentine’s Day themed soirée along with the entire Not Dead Yet cast, a few amazing women in media, and her BFF. Because you can’t celebrate Galentine’s Day (psst..it’s February 13th) without your besties, am I right?

WHO:

Erika attended the early Galentine’s Day celebration with her friend Fernanda Neute and mingled with series stars Gina Rodriguez, Hannah Simone, Lauren Ash, Angela Gibbs, show runner Casey Johnson, as well as a group of 20 hand-picked members of the media and influencers. Everyone connected so beautifully over mimosas, sweet pastries, a brunch setup and meaningful conversations. The entire cast was jovial, super sweet, and delivered the best compliments to every woman at the bash. Gina was having a blast and loving the party themes and festive fits. She wore a sweet pink and red floral satin number which looked fabulous against Erika’s 90’s vibe outfit: a crushed velvet floral dress by DÔEN. In fact, every guest got the romantic memo, which excited Gina who called out her guests from one of her cast photo opps saying,“You ladies look gorgeous! You all are beauties!” I mean – how much sweeter can she be. 

WHAT:

The fun & flirty brunch took place on the rooftop of the Thompson Hotel at Bar Lis in Hollywood.  Gorgeous views of the city skyline surrounded the brunch tables which were set with guest names, fancy floral arrangements, wine glasses wrapped in satin bows, and custom menus in the shape of a heart. Brunch was served family style with Brioche French Toast and Parfaits on the list. Of course, coffee and lattes were available (Erika’s favorite!). 

Guests were also able to make their own floral arrangements which were wrapped in Not Dead Yet themed newspapers. There was also a cute added take home bonus. Party attendees were able to custom embroider handkerchiefs that will be sent to their homes with their initials. 

WHY:

There’s a reason Not Dead Yet is such a fun, comedic, and heartwarming show. It helps us all relate on some level to Gina’s character Nell Serrano – who, while writing and publishing obituaries, is trying to connect with those most closest to her in this life and maybe even the afterlife.  In Season 2, we will see Nell help some ghosts solve the mysteries of their deaths and then see some ghosts help Nell gain some confidence to live out loud. Reportedly, there are some new guest stars making it to some episodes of the show like Just Shoot Me‘s Wendie Malick, Nico Santos from Crazy Rich Asians, and Rob Corddry from Ballers. We also love that the majority of the cast is comprised of female leads (woohoo!). At the brunch, Gina, along with the cast, led conversations with other women in media about the state of publishing, TV & digital platforms, and the importance of having girlfriends who are there to support you ( just like in the show!). Erika loved connecting with so many women and loved getting to know Gina on this deep and significant level. Now, we’re off to catch up on Season 1 of Not Dead Yet just in time for tonight’s premiere. Happy Galentine’s Day! We’ve got more party pics below!

Need some more ideas on how to celebrate Galentine’s Day? Check out our list here