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Zoe Saldana's Blackface Controversy Comes Back to Haunt Actress — Days After She Received First Oscar Nomination for 'Woke Joke' 2025 Academy Awards

Photo of Zoe Saldana
Source: MEGA

Saldana has been criticized for appearing in blackface for a role.

Jan. 27 2025, Published 2:30 p.m. ET

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Zoe Saldana might be flying high after earning her very first Oscar nomination for her role in the musical crime drama Emilia Pérez, but a controversy from her past has brought her back down to earth, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The now Oscar nominee has been haunted by her role in a long forgotten movie in which she appeared in blackface.

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zoe saldana golden globe
Source: MEGA

The Golden Globe winner is now an Academy Award nominee for her role in 'Emilia Pérez.'

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Years before she earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role as lawyer Rita Mora Castro in the French film, Saldana, who is of Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Haitian descent, portrayed legendary Black singer Nina Simone in the 2016 biopic Nina.

The role required her to don a full bodysuit, prosthetic nose and dark makeup to cover her light-skinned features.

Cheers for the 46-year-old online were quickly drowned out by fans shocked that she would even consider taking such a role.

On X, one person tweeted: "What the f*** do you mean Zoe Saldana wore a prosthetic nose and painted herself darker to play as Nina Simone? Boo everyone that's responsible for this!!"

Another person begged: "I need to know who they passed on just to put Zoe Saldana in blackface."

While a third exclaimed: "It’s insane that she did this and I’ll never forget it!!! Sorry."

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zoe saldana nina simone
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Saldana played singer Nina Simone in the legend's biopic.

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Even Simone's family claimed to be appalled by the casting, with the singer's daughter Lisa Simone Kelly praising Saldana’s acting at the time, but adding: "Appearance-wise, this is not the best choice."

The official Twitter account run by Simone’s estate slammed Saldana: "Please take Nina’s name out your mouth. For the rest of your life."

Singer India Arie added her voice to the controversy in an article posted on NinaSimone.com. Arie was so angry that she capitalized some of her words – the written equivalent of shouting.

She tweeted: "SO TODAY I saw the images of Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone. Yes there should be a movie made, and YES they should have chosen someone who LOOKS like Nina Simone, ESPECIALLY since her RACE played such a PIVOTAL role in WHO, WHAT and WHY she was.

"THAT ASIDE for a second, this just looks WEIRD, it looks like a person in Black(er) face with a fake nose…REALLY?!!!!"

She added: "This looks like a parody. If it has to be FORCED this hard something’s not right!"

Saldana eventually apologized for the role in an interview on Instagram with Steven Canals, creator of TV show Pose.

She said: "I should have never played Nina. I’m so sorry. I know better today and I’m never going to do that again. She’s one of our giants and someone else should step up. Somebody else should tell her story."

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Many are calling for the Oscars to be canceled this year.

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Saldana's backlash comes as this year's Oscar ceremony is already being slammed for being too "woke" – especially in light of the recent California wildfires.

One Hollywood insider told RadarOnline.com he's worried the show will turn into a liberal love fest and fundraiser.

The source said: "This is the last thing the people of Los Angeles need... more woke virtue signaling from the Hollywood elite. The whole thing should be canceled. Period."

It would be the first cancelation in the ceremony's 96-year history.

Another insider added: "The board's main concern at this time is to not look like they are celebrating while many Los Angelenos are dealing with heartbreak and unimaginable loss.

"And certainly, even if the fires went out in the next week, the reality is that the city is still hurting and will be dealing with that pain for months.

"So the hierarchy decided that the focus will be support and fundraising when the right opportunities present themselves."

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Plenty of pre and post Oscar parties have already been canceled, and celebs have been vocal about taking a break this year.

The Shining author Stephen King believes the event should be scrapped entirely.

King said: "Not voting in the Oscars this year. (in my honest opinion) they should cancel them. No glitz with Los Angeles on fire."

Hacks star Jean Smart, who won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series earlier this month, has also demanded that the event be canceled.

She wrote in a post on Instagram: "With ALL due respect during Hollywood’s season of celebration, I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have gathered to victims of the fires and the firefighters."

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