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Twitter Claps Back at Trailer for Nina Simone Biopic

Many have been vocal about their disapproval of Saldana in the role.
Twitter Claps Back at Trailer for Nina Simone Biopic
Tom Copi/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
By Sydney Scott ·
Since the poster and trailer dropped for the the new Nina Simone biopic, Nina, there has been ceaseless backlash against the film and the choice to cast Zoe Saldana as the iconic singer. Nina Simone’s Estate Shades Zoe Saldana The backlash stems not only from the fact that Saldana was poorly cast, but that the team behind the film doesn’t seem to be interested in actually telling the story of Nina Simone’s life. Watch: Trailer for Nina Simone Biopic Starring Zoe Saldana First, according to Lisa Celeste Stroud, Nina Simone’s daughter, who goes by the stage name Simone, the focus of the upcoming biopic is the relationship between Simone and her manager/nurse Clifton Henderson, which will be portrayed as a love story and is inaccurate because Henderson was gay. Back in 2012, Simone wrote on Facebook, “When the announcement initially hit the press with MJ Blige cast as Nina (about 6 yrs ago) I heard it along with everyone else. The story was written as a love story between my mother and her former nurse, Clifton Henderson and primarily takes place during the last 8 years of her life.” Zoe Saldana Speaks out About Nina Simone Biopic Criticism SImone added, “Clifton Henderson was gay. He was not attracted to women. So, the truth is…Nina Simone and Clifton Henderson NEVER had a relationship other than a business one.” Since then casting has changed and, of course, Saldana has taken on the role, an issue when you think about a light-skinned actress portraying a darker-skinned black woman whose skin color was a large part of her identity. Nina Simone openly talked about the role her skin and features played in her work and casting Saldana, who despite being black, still possess the Eurocentric features most of Hollywood applauds, is kind of a slap in the face to a woman who actively criticized those ideas and created art influenced by her black features. Not only that, but throwing on a prosthetic nose and blackface isn’t diversity, it’s colorism. Twitter has been vocal about its disapproval of Saldana in the role. Even Simone’s estate chimed in with one of the most brutal tweets of all time.

No, there isnt 1 version of black woman BUT there is 1 version of Nina Simone & I can promise u she just flipped a table in the afterlife.

— Amanda Seales (@amandaseales) March 3, 2016 This is also further proof that there needs to be more diversity not just in front of the camera, but behind it. The team behind the film is predominately white and many people believe that having black people behind the scenes would have saved the film from making such a huge mistake. It makes us wonder if they considered any other black actresses at all. The film is set to be released April 2.
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