Queen Latifah Defends Zoe Saldana, Paula Patton Asks Haters To “Stop Judging”

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we are pleased to confirm that there are a couple of free thinking celebs who are not against actress Zoe Saldana’s quest to portray the late singer and activist, Nina Simone – in a movie based on her life.

When the trailer for Nina hit the web – social media erupted in uproar at the audacity of Saldana’s casting, mostly because the multi-ethnic actress looks nothing like the beloved icon. The darkened skin and altered features may have also been the ultimate buzz kill for those who deemed it inappropriate and even reminiscent of “blackface”.

That aside, the verbal assault and ridicule that the actress has had to endure since a release date was assigned to the film – has been unprecedented and particularly vile which may be the reason why some in the industry are choosing to publicly lend their support to Saldana.

Robert L. Johnson – founder of BET and the chairman of RLJ Entertainment – the company responsible for the distribution of the controversial film – expressed his belief that Saldana’s talent will override people’s concern when it comes to the distracting aesthetics.

“Zoe Saldana delivers an exceptional 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”

Looks like Queen Latifah wholeheartedly agrees – as evident in her response when asked by the Associated Press about Saldana’s casting, while attending Monday’s premiere of The Perfect Match, “I think Zoe Saldana is a great actress, so I am looking forward to it”. The Living Single star and rapper further explained her sentiments, “She is of African descent – I don’t see why she shouldn’t play the role. I just want to see it. Get rid of the hype and let’s go watch a movie.

Actress Paula Patton was also at the event and offered her support for Saldana by shutting down the haters and praising Saldana’s acting chops, “I’m not into negativity like that. It’s a horrible thing to put on somebody. Clearly, someone thought she was perfect for it – she’s an amazing actress, she’s beautiful – and you haven’t even given her a chance and you haven’t seen it”. “Give her a shot, try to enjoy it and stop judging”.

That will be easier said than done, considering the huge number of naysayers who are outraged that Saldana was chosen over more qualified actresses of color who sport features that they feel represent Simone’s specifically ethnic template.

Regardless of the ruckus the film has unleashed, Nina is set to debut in theaters April 22. Actor David Oyelow who has remained noticeably silent, co-stars with Saldana and is also one of the film’s producers.