Uncategorized

Barack Obama’s Daughter In Hot Waters Over Copycat Claims On Nike Directorial Debut: ‘Devastating’

Former US President Barack Obama’s daughter Malia Obama made her directorial debut with a Nike commercial earlier this month. However, her work has sparked controversy after accusations of plagiarism by an indie filmmaker.

Natalie Jasmine Harris, 27, said Obama’s one-minute commercial contained scenes that were “shockingly similar” to her own 2024 short film “Grace”, showing two young Black girls playing pat-a-cake on a stoop.

Barack Obama with his daughter Malia. (Reuters/File Image)

Harris shared a side-by-side video comparing scenes from her film and Malia Obama’s commercial, saying, “It’s devastating, but at least you can (hopefully) see that this is about much more than just pat-a-cake.”

According to Harris, the Nike commercial even borrowed elements like the framing, lighting, pacing, shot list and colour palette. She said the commercial’s visual language was “shockingly similar” to ‘Grace’. Speaking to Business Insider, Harris said, “It’s not about the game. It’s about the cinematic tools used to depict it.”

“I know art often overlaps, but moments like this hit hard when you’ve poured your heart into telling stories with care and barely get the recognition you deserve. If brands want a certain look, why not hire from the source instead of for name recognition,” she wrote on X.

Harris says she isn’t frustrated with Obama herself, but with the industry. “It speaks to a larger issue of brands not supporting independent artists and opting for folks who already have name recognition, which doesn’t breed innovative films or original storytelling.”

Harris and Malia met at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, where the former presented her 14-minute Grace in competition with Malia’s red carpet debut. The former first daughter had said she would drop her last name to avoid being labelled a “nepo 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦”, according to the New York Post.

Related Posts

𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 & 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝟭𝟮

La familia ha vuelto: ¡más grande, más rápida y más explosiva que nunca! En Rápidos y Furiosos 12, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) debe unirse a Deckard Shaw (Jason…

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝟱

El mundo necesita héroes, otra vez. Los Mercenarios 5 (2025) reúne a los mercenarios más elitistas del mundo para su misión más peligrosa hasta la fecha. Con la…

𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗸 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀

Protagonizada por: Jason Momoa y Dwayne JohnsonPrepárate para una guerra a través del tiempo.𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐤: 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 es una asombrosa fusión de espectáculo de ciencia ficción y furia primigenia, donde…

‘Loser Move’, Rory McIlroy’s Decision To Skip Important Playoff Event Doesn’t Sit Right With Fans

It’s almost time for the FedEx Cup playoffs! 2025 was an action-packed season that saw many big stars rise to the occasion. Scottie Scheffler has dominated, like he has been…

Charley Hull Calls Out Terrible Weather At AIG Women’s Open Days After R&A Ignored Warnings

Remember when nature took its true test at the Senior Open Championship back in 2023? The event was held at Royal Porthcawl, notorious for its demanding course. With…

Upset With Tiger Woods Comparisons, Charley Hull Makes Her Feelings Clear on Golfer a Second Time

As early as age 10, Charley Hull was drawing comparisons to Tiger Woods. And why wouldn’t she? She was just 9 when she won the Ladies Golf Union Championship, defeating women…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *