Black Twitter users aren’t the only ones livid about Zoe Saldana’s Nina. As previously reported, the Internet has been up in arms over the last several days after the project released its first official movie poster and trailer, featuring the 37-year-old in blackface. “Zoe Saldana looks nothing like Nina Simone #FAIL not even close. Why not just get Will Smith to do it,” wrote one user. “Zoe Saldana isn’t even that good of an actress to be pressed to cast …. They could’ve cast a darker woman,” added another.
The mother of two initially responded to the casting criticism years ago saying, ”What kept me from getting stressed and being hurt by the negative comments is that I’m doing it for my sisters and my brothers and I don’t care who tells me I’m not this or I’m not that. I know who I am and I know what Nina Simone means to me … I did it all for love. Out of love for Nina, my people and who I am and my pride of being a Black woman and a Latina woman and an American woman. That’s my truth.”
Now, she attempting to diffuse the backlash once again, this time using Twitter:
“I’ll tell you what freedom is to me- No Fear… I mean really, no fear.” #NinaSimone
— Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) March 2, 2016
Unfortunately, Saldana’s recent retort didn’t sit well with a few people on social media, including Simone’s estate.
.@zoesaldana Cool story but please take Nina’s name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.
— Nina Simone (@NinaSimoneMusic) March 3, 2016
And this was pretty much everyone’s reaction after that:
Needless to say, Saldana has yet to respond and Nina is moving full speed ahead, with a release date of April 22. Meanwhile, what are your thoughts regarding how Simone’s estate handled their dissatisfaction over the biopic? Sound off in the comment section below.
