The Nina Simone biopic was written to honor one of the most remarkable artists of the twentieth century, an icon of music. Unfortunately, Nina has been plagued by controversy since it was announced that Zoe Saldana would be playing the role of Simone back in 2012. The announcement of the April 22 release date and the release of the biopic’s trailer has pushed this controversy back into the spotlight.
This week, the estate of Simone unleashed a series of angry tweets directed at Saldana.
.@zoesaldana Cool story but please take Nina's name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.
— Nina Simone (@NinaSimoneMusic) March 3, 2016
Hopefully people begin to understand this is painful. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, nauseating, soul-crushing. It shall pass, but for now…
— Nina Simone (@NinaSimoneMusic) March 3, 2016
Saldana hit back with the famous Simone quote: “’I’ll tell you what freedom is to me-No Fear… I mean really, no fear.’ #Nina Simone”
Simone’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly came to Saldana’s defense following the twitter exchanges. Kelly offers support to Saldana, but like her family, remains displeased about the biopic itself.
“It’s unfortunate that Zoe Saldana is being attacked so viciously when she is someone who is part of a larger picture,” said Lisa Simone Kelly. “It’s clear she brought her best to this project, but unfortunately she’s being attacked when she’s not responsible for any of the writing or the lies.”
Kelly’s main issue with the Nina Simone biopic is the storyline focuses on a romantic relationship between manager Clifton Henderson and Simone. “The movie is about a relationship between my mother and Clifton which never took place. They never had an amorous relationship. The project has been tainted from the very beginning. Clearly, it is not the truth about my mother’s life and everyone now knows that. This is not how you want your loved ones remembered,” she said. Kelly also added that Clifton Henderson was gay.
Additional support for Saldana has rolled in from RLJ Entertainment. “Zoe Saldana delivers an exceptional and mesmerizing tribute to Nina Simone,” Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of RLJ Entertainment and founder of BET, said in a statement to PEOPLE. “She gave her heart and soul to the role and displayed her extraordinary talent.”
It will be interesting to see how this movie is received by the public. Hopefully, those who are and are not familiar with Simone’s music can get a glimpse of the magic that is the ‘High Priestess of Soul.’
Check out the official trailer here:
