When Tina Andrews wrote the original script, the part of Frankie Lymon was first offered to Michael Jackson.
Zola Taylor was still alive during production of this film. However, Halle Berry chose not to meet her so her portrayal, as she saw it, could stay intact.
A later courtroom scene reveals that Morris Levy (Paul Mazursky) earned extra royalties from songs by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, including the single "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?", by listing his name as co-writer even though Levy did not actually write any parts of the songs. Despite the movie revealing this fact, Levy's name is still listed in the soundtrack credits as a writer or co-writer of the songs "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?", "ABC's Of Love", and "I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent".