When news first broke that Zoe Saldana would play the late, great Nina Simone in a forthcoming biopic, it ignited a firestorm of controversy.

Many saw the casting choice as a classic case of Hollywood colorism and whitewashing. Some argued it was a slap in the face to the legacy of Nina Simone (and the photos of Saldana essentially in blackface didn’t help).

Saldana finally addressed these sentiments in a recent interview.

From Clutch Mag:

”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.”

Read more at ClutchMagOnline.com

 

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