Nina Simone's Brother Claims "Hollywood Is 'Raping' Nina's Legacy By 'Painting' Up Zoe Saldana"

Nina Simone's Brother Claims "Hollywood Is 'Raping
' Nina's Legacy By 'Painting' Up Zoe Saldana"

BHR Hollywood Reports.....Nina Simone's brother has accused Hollywood of 'raping' her legacy by 'painting up' mixed race actress Zoe Saldana to play the legendary singer, in a row that has torn the family in two.

Saldana, who plays the performer and civil rights activist in an upcoming biopic, appears to have darker skin and wears a prosthetic, wider nose in the film.

Nina Simone

The release of a trailer for Nina caused outrage earlier this week as hundreds of people - including the official Twitter account of Simone - lambasted Saldana and directors for not picking a darker-skinned star.

“Nina Simone . . . didn’t have a fake nose or fake lips. Everything about her was real. Why would you go with something made up like that?” Waymon said.

 “Blackface was used by Hollywood early on to dehumanize and to not have to cast [blacks] . . . I would have thought more highly of [Saldana] if she would’ve turned down the role.”

Wayman, 71, adds that Saldana and the film’s director, Cynthia Mort never consulted with the family regarding the project.

Nina Simone Brother

He says the movie falsely depicts a romantic relationship between Simone and her assistant Clifton Henderson, played by David Oyelowo.


“It never happened,”  said Waymon. “Clifton was a gay man. In addition to a prosthetic nose and blackface, now they’re making a gay man straight.

 It’s a disgrace to the gay community. It’s disrespectful to Nina, who was about the truth.”

Nina Simone Daughter 

He said Simone, who died aged 70 in 2003, would be irate if she knew a lighter skinned actress wore darker make-up to play her.

But the singer's daughter came out in support of Saldana, saying the casting of the Afro-Latino star was not ideal but that the actress was not to blame.

Simone Kelly told Time that the actress was not the 'proper choice, appearance wise', and that there were other talented black women who could have played her.

However, Kelly insisted she was 'not upset with Zoe' and that her only feeling after watching the Wednesday's trailer was sympathy for Saldana.

'It’s unfortunate that Zoe Saldana is being attacked so viciously when she is someone who is part of a larger picture,' Kelly said.

'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.

'I really didn’t feel much of anything except for poor Zoe,' she added.