Nina Simone’s Estate Embarrasses Zoe Saldana & Refuses to Back Down

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Zoe Saldana knew she would have to face severe backlash if she went forward with the Nina Simone biopic, but she probably had no idea things could get this intense.

After getting dragged on social media all day for using blackface to portray the icon on the big screen, now the estate has a few words for her too.

Click next for the details.

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33 comments

    1. Probably not. She’s too arrogant to see the big picture. She thinks people are just hating on her and jealous she’s a Latina. Smh.

  1. Honestly, I’m over these biopics produced without consent. I truly feel family should have some say in how their loved ones life is portrayed on film. Especially since it will last forever. There should be some limits around this. The estate should have some say in this..

    1. I am with you, it is disrespectful. I don’t see them going behind the backs of White legendary people families and doing biopics w/o consent or anything else for that matter. SMH these White people need to just tell their own folks stories stop tryna make money off our legends….its ironic how everything in this world revolves around Black people we literally make this world go round but Whites do any and everything to discredit us

  2. I wonder who runs that Twitter account. My guess is the daughter who already came out swinging about this a couple of years ago.

  3. This is why you don’t sign up for a biopic the estate doesn’t support. This movie is going to tank badly and she’s really losing a lot of fans over this too. Well black fans that is.

  4. This is embarrassing. I believe she wanted this role because she thought it would get Oscar buzz and that was more important to her than doing the right thing which was backing away. Zoe is part of the problem in Black Hollywood. Too often black actors look out for self and don’t care about the people. What would have been right is back away and forcing the studio to actually hire a dark skinned actress, the one thing they try to avoid doing at all costs.

    1. That’s what this was all about for her. She wants an Oscar and she figured doing a biopic would be the best way to get it. That’s why I can’t sit here and feel sorry for her. She basically threw Nina and her family under a bus for an Oscar she won’t ever get.

  5. I think it’s really evil to go through with a biopic the family doesn’t support but maybe that’s just me.

  6. LOL. This whole situation is sad and hilarious at the same time. Zoe let her ego get the best of her. And she should have never went forward with this.

  7. She’s an actress and acting is her job. The family need to pick on who ever is in charge.

  8. In no shape or form did Zoe’s a-s have to take this role. She ain’t hurting for roles. Her a-s is in THREE got damn blockbuster franchises. She took this role because she’s a selfish c-nt who doesn’t give a damn about anyone but herself. The family asked her not to do it and she did it anyway because she doesn’t give a f-ck. F-ck her, f-ck this movie and f-ck any person defending this blackface bullsh-t. Black people stay making excuses for people who don’t give a f-ck about us.

  9. Umm no one held a gun to Zoe’s head and made her do this movie. She wanted to do it despite knowing the family didn’t want this movie made. The whole team attached to this project is sketchy and has been since day one. If I’m not mistaken, Zoe wasn’t even the first pick. I think I read somewhere else Mary J Blige was the first choice back in the beginning stages, but she pulled out when Nina’s family reached out to her and asked her not to go through with it. Mary respected the family’s wishes and withdrew from the project. Then Zoe came in and basically told the family to go f*ck themselves. So I totally understand why the estate dragged her on Twitter. She’s disrespectful and very selfish. Karma will take care of her though.

  10. Zoe isn’t even a good actress. So why did she think she could pull this off. Nina was a very complex person. She was a strong woman and a force to be reckoned with. Zoe is a so so actress, she can’t sing, and lacks the passion Nina had to make this movie work. The blackface is just the cherry on top for me.

  11. I cosign most of the comments. Zoe is being selfish and I understand why the family is pissed off.

  12. Biopics are hard to pull off. The first thing the studio needs to do is get an ok from the family, then they have to pick an actor who is talented enough to make the biopic believable, and then you have to make sure the story does the deceased justice. And with this movie, none of those requirements were met. Slapping a fake nose and blackface on Zoe doesn’t change any of that either.

  13. Uhmmm, I find this whole mini war absolutely “Ridiculous”. First and foremost let us all Remember that “IT IS THE PRODUCERS” WHO choose actors or actresses for the Part “Any Part”. They “Choose” whom they Feel will deliver their Script “The best way” for a triumphant Result…….Period.

    This is no different than white actors/actresses playing mixed races, black people playing mixed races or how about when they play “Gay” and everyone knows they are Not “BUT” THEY Do a really good Job in their Role.

    WHY??? SIMPLE, they Chose the one’s that they “FELT WOULD DELIVER”.

    WHY DON’T ya’ll go back to all those who have won “Oscars for Portraying someone they are NOT”….”ridiculous”.

    How about all the Actors who Won “Oscars” for Portraying Disabled people or Portraying Real Life Situations with Chemical Plants etc. see where I’m going.

    Don’t let the “Green Eyed Monster” get the Best of You where “Clear and Sound’ judgement goes “OUT THE DOOR”.

    THEY R ACTORS & ACTRESSES, Hence the Meaning to Portray a Part.

    Hence the Meaning of what they do which equals to “Work”….period.

    If there was any “Legal Issues” with this situation, “The Family” needs to take this up with the “Production Company”, NOT “ZOE”.

    SHOWS, how “Hateful and Clueless” people can Be…

    Some Actors/Actressses are in the “A” List for a Reason,

    “Because they can DELIVER” a Great “Performance”…period.

    Anyone having their “Story put in the Lime Light by “A” Listers Should be Thankful and Appreciate and Excited to See the Success of It…period.

    Hire a “Lawyer” if something is Shady with the “Consenting Part” but Stop blaming People who have nothing to do with it outside of them doing what’s “Natural to them”. Anybody stop to think that in many cases these “Actors/Actresses” ACTUALLY admire who they Portray? jm2cts_ (shakes head “unbelievable”)

  14. You can write all the essays you want Zoe defenders. She looks dumb as hell, she’s still getting dragged because she went forward with this movie when she could have dropped out of respect for Nina’s family like Mary J. did and this movie will flop. Defending blackface and selfish bishes in 2016? America is full of idiots.

  15. I’m not really sure why there’s a couple of people on here trying to defend Zoe and shame us into supporting this. Like I said, Mary J. Blige was the original choice for this movie and she stopped out when Nina’s family told her they didn’t support this. Did she take it personally and get all arrogant about it? No. She was humble and respectful enough to just move on because she really is a Nina fan and doesn’t want to hurt her legacy and hurt her family. Zoe doesn’t care about Nina or Nina’s family. So she went through with this and even told the producers that using blackface was ok. She deserves to be dragged and y’all will deal.

  16. Someone in that family obviously “Signed Something”. There’s too much money involved with Film Companies to “jeopardize it on one Story”, that’s what common sense tells me. Also, Mary J. is older now and Super well Established, she may not have the “Hunger” it takes to Deliver this Story with it’s “Proper Dues”.

    Had she been young “She’d probably convince the family that should would do the role justice”. Perhaps that’s what “Zoe needs to convey the Family”.

    This may be “Zoe’s greatest Challenge” yet I’m sure she knows what’s at “Stake”.

  17. Nina’s estate did not have to sign over rights for this movie to be made…and frankly, as we’ve seen over the years, a lot of artists don’t even own the rights to their name or music so labels sign off on these terrible biopics all the time, despite the family being against it. It doesn’t take common sense to see that this is a reality for most artists. The industry is a dirty place. I didn’t know Mary J was the first choice, but I’m sure she left because she’s a decent human being who loves Nina. Zoe doesn’t really care about Nina’s legacy. If she did, she would have been against the use of blackface and the prosthetic nose. One of the most important things to Nina was her skintone and African features. She was proud to be black and would protest against this film is she was still living. Bur Mary left the movie and was able to get real, respectable roles since like the Wiz and that movie about Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King because she’s a savvy business woman. So let’s not try to diss Mary to uplift Zoe, a very mediocre and selfish actress. Thanks.

    1. Agreed. A lot of people don’t seem to understand that a lot of these estates of deceased singers aren’t really ran or owned by the family. Sure, her family may run the Twitter account, but they probably don’t legally own Nina’s music or brand. Most music artists die in lots of debt and slaves to the labels. It’s sad.

  18. Y’all are not going to get on here and try to shade Mary’s acting like Zoe is some black Meryl Streep or some sh-t. Zoe can’t act and at least Mary actually took some acting classes to improve and ain’t just relying on her looks. Mary ain’t selfish either. All Mary fans know that she’s a huge Nina Simone fan. She really wanted to do this biopic but she dropped out out of love and respect for Nina and Nina’s family. That’s what you do when you have compassion for other people. A narcissist like Zoe would never.

  19. JUST so you know “I love Mary J. Blige”, I grew up with her since her beginnings and I wholey Admire that woman. She came from the school of hard knocks and went through tooo much and “Succeeded Triumphanlty” so don’t get my words twisted.

    I stay True to “Reality” and the reality is that this Family is being Petty, I’m sure “Nina Simone” would be Proud to be part of “history and forever remembered in the Screens”. No one is “Disrespecting her Life, they are giving Honor to Her”!

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