SOHH Squad
Disney actress Zendaya has cleared the air on why she ultimately fell back on the role of a lifetime by turning down an opportunity to portray late singer Aaliyah in a new film.
Zendaya said her decision had nothing to do with critics or people wanting to see her fail.
“Let me just explain something, the reason why I chose not to do the Aaliyah movie had nothing to do with the haters or people telling me that I couldn’t do it, that I wasn’t talented enough, or that I wasn’t black enough. It had nothing to do with that. … The main reasons were that the production value wasn’t there, there were complications with the movie rights, and I just felt like it wasn’t being handled delicately considering the situation.” (RumorFix)
New details of network Lifetime’s latest addition to the previously scrapped movie surfaced last Friday (July 18).
Lifetime is back in business with its Aaliyah biopic. Nickelodeon actress Alexandra Shipp has been tapped to play the R&B singer, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Wendy Williams, who has boarded the TV movie as an executive producer, first announced the news Friday on Twitter. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Recent reports claimed potential legal problems including copyright issues may have stalled the film’s production.
A source told E! News that there were production issues, including problems obtaining the rights to Aaliyah’s music. The R&B star and Queen of the Damned actress died at age 22 in a plane crash on Aug. 25, 2001. “Aaliyah has always been an inspiration to Zendaya,” the source said. “She was honored to portray her and pay tribute to her. If she is going to do it, she wants to do it right.” (E! Online)
Public protest from Aaliyah’s family reportedly contributed to Zendaya’s decision.
Zendaya’s rep says she’s no longer involved with the project … and sources close to the production say a whole bunch of factors played a part including the negative reaction from Aaliyah’s family. For now, Lifetime says production has been put on hold. (TMZ)
