The distributor of Zoe Saldana‘s upcoming film “Nina” has responded to the backlash over the actress’ casting in the role of African-American singer Nina Simone.
According to the Associated Press, Robert L. Johnson, the founder of RLJ Entertainment, said that the complaints mirror “an interracial ‘pathology’ established by slave owners.”
“It’s a tragic past that still exists today,” said Johnson, who earlier this month also defended Saldana, stating that she “delivers an exceptional and mesmerizing tribute to Nina Simone.”
A couple weeks ago, shortly after the official poster for “Nina” was released, fans took to Twitter to point out that Saldana looked nothing like Simone, the singer-songwriter and civil rights activist whose struggle to balance music, family and personal political beliefs found her living alone in France, feeling exiled from her native U.S.
“Zoe Saldana looks nothing like Nina Simone #FAIL not even close,” tweeted one user. “Why not just Will Smith to do it?” In 2012, rumors circulated that Saldana would play Simone, and the response was overwhelmingly negative, with fans saying Saldana is too light-skinned to portray the singer.
“What people are expressing today is something that happened to us during slavery, when light-skinned blacks were turned against dark-skinned blacks and dark-skinned blacks were turned against light-skinned blacks,” Johnson said. “It’s been an unfortunate part of our DNA that was put in our heads by slave masters that is still present today, as you see by people talking about is somebody dark enough to play a role.”
Johnson, who is also the founder of BET, continued that this situation reminds him of the slave owners who “separated us by color.”
“That’s almost saying that dark-skinned black people have a special cross to bear than light-skinned,” he said. “That is exactly what was put on us, that’s the burden that was put on us by slave owners who separated us by color.”
In March, even Simone’s Twitter handle slammed Saldana after the actress quoted Simone on Twitter.
In 2014, an image was released in which Saldana’s nose had been altered with a prosthetic. Many took to Twitter to suggest that Saldana’s casting was a form of blackface.
However, Johnson did add that he has heard these kinds of complaints before.
“I had it when I was running BET,” he added. “I’d get letters from people saying, ‘Why are all the women in the videos light-skinned women? Can’t there be any dark-skinned women?’ So it’s always been in black life undercover. This issue about Zoe Saldana and Nina Simone just brought it out to the surface.”
“Nina” hits theaters on Apr. 22 and is written and directed by Cynthia Mort.
15 Stars Whose Blackface Blunders Backfired, From Ted Danson to Jimmy Kimmel (Photos)
Don't even think of mimicking these celebrities.
Joni Mitchell
The singer posed in blackface on the cover of her album "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" in 1977, and later went on to justify it by saying, "I have experienced being a Black guy."
Ted Danson
The "Cheers" star appeared at a New York Friars Club Roast in 1993 with then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg wearing blackface makeup to perform an offensive N-word-filled comedy routine.
Tom Hanks
The Oscar-winning actor came under fire in 2012 when video surfaced of a 2004 school fundraiser featuring Hanks and another man wearing blackface and stereotypical African clothing. Hanks later condemned the bit as "horribly offensive."
Jane Krakowski
The actress appeared in blackface in two episodes of the 2006-13 sitcom "30 Rock," in one case dressing as a Black man while co-star Tracy Morgan, who is African American, appeared as a white woman. Series creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock pulled the episodes from circulation in 2020.
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Tyra Banks
The host of "America's Next Top Model" took heat, as did her show, for a photo shoot in 2009 in which competing models were made to look "biracial." Styling techniques included the darkening of contestants' skin.
Paula Deen
Following the epicure's ouster from the Food Network in the wake of her infamous N-word controversy, Deen posted a photo on Twitter from her show's 2011 Halloween episode featuring her son, Bobby, dressed as Ricky Ricardo, complete with brownface makeup.
Beyoncé
The diva took heat for a 2011 L'Officiel Paris cover with an "African Queen" theme for which the pop star's skin was darkened.
Jon Hamm
In a 2012 episode of "30 Rock," Hamm teamed with Tracy Morgan to re-create a parody version of a dated old TV show modeled on the stereotype-laden "Amos and Andy." Hamm doesn't so much blacken his face as dirty it, but the episode proved so problematic that creator Tina Fey pulled it from circulation in 2020.
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Julianne Hough
The singer/dancer/actress drew criticism over a 2013 Halloween costume for which she donned dark makeup to masquerade as Uzo Aduba's "Orange Is the New Black" character Crazy Eyes.
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Shane Dawson
The YouTuber known for his outrageous characters in 2014 was forced to apologize for the use of blackface in some of his videos, including a parody of talk show host Wendy Williams.
Kylie Jenner
Fans of the reality star jumped all over a photo she posted to her Instagram account from a 2015 shoot, outraged that her skin appeared to be darkened. "This is a black light and neon lights people lets all calm down," Jenner responded.
Luann de Lesseps
The former countess and "Real Housewives of New York" star apologized for her 2017 Halloween costume as Diana Ross -- even though she insisted that she didn't actually do blackface. "I had bronzer on that I wear normally like the rest of my skin," she later told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live." "So I didn’t add anything to or would ever, ever dream of doing a blackface. Ever."
Oliver Peck
The longtime "Inkmasters" star announced he was departing the show in 2020 after an old photo resurfaced of him wearing blackface while portraying an NBA player.
Jimmy Fallon
The late-night host came under fire for a 2000 "Saturday Night Live" sketch in which he impersonated former "SNL" cast member Chris Rock -- in full makeup.
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Jimmy Kimmel
In June 2020, ABC late-night host apologized for a series of sketches from earlier in his career when he darkened his skin to impersonate Black stars such as NBA player Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey. "I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke,” he said of the sketches from "The Man Show" which he co-hosted from 1999-2003.
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These celebrities offer a timely reminder that it’s never OK — so don’t try it