Subscribe
The Daily Grind Video
CLOSE

Zendaya Coleman isn’t going down without a fight.

The Disney star was recently given the role to play Aaliyah in her upcoming Lifetime biopic, and while she is trying to celebrate landing the part of her idol, she’s facing a lot of backlash.

Critics on social media have been going hard at Zendaya for getting the role, between the family’s disapproval of the movie itself, and fans saying she’s not “black” enough.

TMZ caught up with Zendaya at the airport this week, where they asked her about the controversy. She responded:

A lot of people say I’m not black enough. Half black is just enough. ​It doesn’t matter what color you are, it’s about how you portray the character. For those that don’t know, Angela Bassett and Tina Turner, they look nothing alike but she was that character so I think that’s what it’s all about.”

In the middle of the video, her father said jokingly:

And one thing, they’re shooting this in the summer spending lots of time in the sun. She’ll get dark enough.

We know that Zendaya adores Aaliyah and is very influenced by the late singer, so it will be interesting to see what she does with the role despite the criticism.

Meanwhile, Aaliyah’s family is not on board with the biopic of their angel, and said in a statement about Lifetime signing on the movie:

“Aaliyah was more than a singer, she was -and is still – an American music icon whose legacy continues to live on and influence today’s music culture, just as Ray Charles, Notorious B.I.G., Selena and Johnny Cash.

Considering the magnitude of her fans’ affection alone, she deserves to have a tribute much more grand than a television network debut that won’t even consider the perspectives of those who were closest to Aaliyah.

Disregarding the families and dishonoring the legacies of celebrated figures who have passed on, big networks want to exploit their stories for a buck. We’re here to make it clear that it’s not okay!

Lifetime Television is trying to dictate the status of our heroes, our heroines and – in this case – our beloved Aaliyah. We implore everyone to call Lifetime Television, send emails and bombard social media so they know we demand respect for our cultural icons.

We will not sit idly by while they misrepresent and reap profits from our luminaries. There is more at stake than the public could imagine.”

See the video of Zendaya responding to critics here.

Do you guys think they should go forward with the biopic even with the family’s disapproval? Let us know in the comments below!

SOURCE: TMZ | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty