Zoe Saldana’s Blackface Controversy Resurfaces Just Days After the Actress Received Her First Oscar Nomination for Emilia Pérez

In the film, Saldana, whose complexion is several shades lighter than Simone’s, wore dark foundation and body makeup to match the singer’s deep skin tone. She completed the look with a short-cut wig and prosthetic nose. This move caused much anger among fans who believed the role should have gone to a darker-skinned actress, especially because Simone was very vocal about her struggles as a darker skinned woman. Nina Simone’s daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, also weighed in on the decision to cast Zoe Saldana as the beloved songwriter.

“There are many superb actresses of color who could more adequately represent my mother and could bring her to the screen with the proper script, the proper team and a sense of wanting to bring the truth of my mother’s journey to the masses,” she told Time. “And “Nina,” in my opinion, doesn’t do any of that.”

Though Kelly was clear to state that she did not hold ill will toward Saldana and found it “unfortunate” that the actress was being attacked when the filmmakers were truly to blame, many fans disagreed. Outrage swiftly went from fans being upset that a darker actress was not cast, to Saldana’s decision to apply darkened makeup and a fake nose, which led to accusations that Saldana was wearing blackface.

One day after Saldana’s Oscar nomination was announced, celebrations derailed as X users resurfaced Saldana’s poor choice in accepting the role as Nina Simone.

The first was in 2016, the same year the movie was released. Saldana spoke out during an interview with Allure magazine, which has since been taken down from the site but has been reported by multiple outlets.

She suggested that the script would have been “lying around” and “no one would have done it” if she wouldn’t have.

“I made a choice. Do I continue passing on the script and hope that the ‘right’ black person will do it, or do I say, ‘You know what? Whatever consequences this may bring about, my casting is nothing in comparison to the fact that this story must be told.’”

Speaking to the issues people had with her as a light skinned woman playing someone of a darker complexion, she said, “There’s no one way to be Black. I’m black the way I know how to be. You have no idea who I am. I am Black. I’m raising Black men. Don’t you ever think you can look at me and address me with such disdain.”

Saldana who is of Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Haitian descent also hit back at those who felt she was disrespecting Simone by getting a prosthetic nose to play the role.

“I never saw her as unattractive,” she said. “Nina looks like half my family! But if you think the [prosthetic] nose I wore was unattractive, then maybe you need to ask yourself, ‘What do you consider beautiful?’ Do you consider a thinner nose beautiful, so the wider you get, the more insulted you become?”

In 2020, Saladana reflected on her decision to play the “Young, Gifted and Black” singer once more and seemingly had a more remorseful response.