Both 'Nina' Director and Simone's Daughter Defend Zoe Saldana
Movie

Lisa Simone Kelly, the only child of the late singer, says it's unfortunate that Saldana is attacked like that and that director Cynthia Mort is the one to be blamed.

AceShowbiz - Amid the attacks against Zoe Saldana for not being black enough to portray Nina Simone, the biopic's director came forward with her defense. Cynthia Mort asked people to appreciate the huge effort that the actress had put into portraying the singer and civil right activist.

Mort released a statement to Entertainment Weekly on Thursday, March 3, saying, "Zoe gave an amazingly courageous and great performance. I think that's all that should matter." She added, "I wish the movie well. There are very different visions of what the movie could have been and should have been. Other than that, I think Zoe was amazing, and David [Oyelowo] was amazing, and I'm proud of a lot of the movie."

RLJ Entertainment's head Robert L. Johnson backed Mort's statement and said, "Zoe Saldana delivers an exceptional and mesmerizing tribute to Nina Simone. She gave her heart and soul to the role and displayed her extraordinary talent. The most important thing is that creativity or quality of performance should never be judged on the basis of color, or ethnicity, or physical likeness. Quality entertainment should be measured by the sheer force of creativity and the commitment that an actor or actress brings to the performance. We are proud to distribute the film headlined by Zoe Saldana and David Oyelowo on April 22, 2016."

Meanwhile, Simone's only child Lisa Simone Kelly thought it was unfair to attack Saldana like that. "It's unfortunate that Zoe Saldana is being attacked so viciously when she is someone who is part of a larger picture," Kelly told TIME. "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."

Instead, she blamed Mort for the estate's rage because she never consulted the family to seek the truth. "The movie is about a relationship between my mother and Clifton [Henderson] which never took place. They never had an amorous relationship," Simone Kelly said, adding that Henderson was a gay man. "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."

Saldana's casting was controversial since she was half Puerto Rican. Simone's family lashed out at the actress with a tweet on Wednesday, March 2, "Take Nina's name out your mouth. For the rest of your life." The estate has urged fans to host their own Nina Simone listening and viewing parties on the day the movie is released.

But the trouble surrounding "Nina" had begun all the way back in 2010. Mary J. Blige was originally attached to star as the Jazz legend but she dropped out while the movie faced funding issues. Mort also launched a lawsuit against the film's production company in 2014 for delaying the film's release in addition to accusing producers for excluding her in the decision-making process.

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