Queen Latifah Wants You To Give People Flowers Just Because

Queen Latifah wears a lot of hats: singer, producer, actor, businesswoman, CoverGirl...we're getting tired just thinking about it. So we were both surprised and not surprised to learn that, on top of all that, she now also has her own line of flowers, the Queen Collection.

We often think of flowers as something you pick up for a special occasion, but Queen Latifah wants us to think about getting (and giving) flowers just because. "I’m one of those people who loves to pick up fresh flowers when I leave the grocery store. And so I thought the idea of being able to create a Queen collection line that was accessible like that...would be very cool," she told us in a phone interview.

The line includes orchids and arrangements with themes like "unity," "radiance," or "confidence." The flowers come with a tag that the recipient can keep. Of course, flowers are still great to give for birthdays or other life events, but The Queen Collection's messages also make them perfect for a "just because" gift when someone you know might need a boost of, say, confidence — a trait that Queen Latifah acknowledges has been important in her own life.

"I’ve thought about the many times I’ve had to use my courage and be confident enough to step out and do something different that I believed I could do," she shared. But she's also seen the positive impact that her own confidence can have on others. When asked about being a plus-size role model in an industry that isn't always welcoming of diversity, Latifah said she's seen the entertainment industry go back and forth in terms of its acceptance, but she believes we're currently in an upswing. And there's no doubt she's had a hand in that.

"One guy came up to me at an airport and told me had a 12-year-old daughter, and she wanted to sing, but she thought she couldn’t because of her size," she recalled. "Then she saw me sing in a movie and she said, 'If she can do it, I can do it.' We do have an effect on one another, and we can make that positive change."