Estate Of Civil Rights Activist Nina Simone Responds To Zoe Saldana For Playing Her Role In Upcoming Biopic

Estate Of Nina Simone Responds To
Zoe Saldana For Playing Her Role In Upcoming Biopic 

BHR Hollywood Reports..........While Zoe Saldana has come out in defense of her controversial portrayal of Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic Nina, it appears the singer's estate isn't having it.

A fresh round of criticism for the film erupted after the trailer and poster for “Nina” were unveiled Wednesday.

Nina Simone 

Saldana posted a quote from the singer and civil rights activist on Twitter, and Simone’s estate responded with: “Cool story but please take Nina’s name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.”

Simone’s daughter and others have decried the choice to cast a light-skinned actress as the African-American activist since Saldana took the part in 2012. Her skin was apparently darkened for the role.

Nina Simone And Zoe Saldana

At the time, Simone’s daughter, Simone Kelly, said: “Appearance-wise this is not the best choice.”

“My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark,” Kelly told the New York Times in a 2012 interview.

The Simone estate tweeted Wednesday: “Hopefully people begin to understand this is painful. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, nauseating, soul-crushing. It shall pass, but for now…”

The singer’s estate cooperated with producers of the Netflix documentary “What Happened, Miss Simone?” which was nominated for an Oscar this year.

Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of the studio releasing “Nina,” describes Saldana’s performance as “an exceptional and mesmerizing tribute.

.@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

Nina is now set to arrive in theaters and video-on-demand April 22nd, after its December 2015 release was pushed back.

The film was written and directed by Cynthia Mort and focuses on Simone's struggles to balance social activism with her celebrated music career.

It also touches on her time living alone in France, where she met her assistant Clifton Henderson, played by David Oyelowo.

Along with its most recent pushback, Nina has been plagued by numerous delays throughout its production. Singer-actress Mary J. Blige was initially signed-on to play the singer in 2010, but backed out due to scheduling conflicts.

In 2014, Mort filed a lawsuit against the film's U.K. producer, Ealing Studios Enterprises Limited, claiming the company had breached the terms of her directorial deal.