Well, here it is… as I mentioned in my post earlier this morning, Nina Simone's daughter, Simone (born Lisa Celeste Stroud) posted a comment on Facebook yesterday, saying that she would share her thoughts on the film project centered on her mother's life, that Zoe Saldana is attached to star in, along with David Oyelowo.

24 hours later, she's done just that, and I think it fills in some holes; most notably, she states that this specific project is unauthorized, and that the filmmakers never requested permission, nor invited the participation of the Nina Simone Estate.

She also addresses Zoe Saldana's casting, albeit not directly. But it's all there.

And lastly, she makes it clear that Clifton Henderson (the character David Oyelowo is attached to play) was gay, and thus, Nina Simone and Clifton Henderson never had a relationship other than a business one, even though the proposed film project implies otherwise; after all, it is described as a love story between the two.

But I'll stop here and let you read her words for yourselves:

Greetings Nina Simone Lovers, Simone here.

I have read many of the comments am happy you all took the time to share your thoughts and feelings.

Here's mine:

When the announcement initially hit the press with MJ Blige cast as Nina (about 6 yrs ago) I heard it along with everyone else. The story was written as a love story between my mother and her former nurse, Clifton Henderson and primarily takes place during the last 8 years of her life.

Please note, this project is unauthorized. The Nina Simone Estate was never asked permission nor invited to participate.

I have seen many names regarding who you think should play the role of Nina. Remember Angela Bassett as Tina Turner? SHE NAILED IT! Angela Bassett is an ACTRESS! And, we all know she lip synced along with Tina and did an amazing job. Personally, I prefer an actress to a singer. Just because a person is great at one does not mean they will be great at the other. If written, funded and CAST PROPERLY a movie about my mother will make an lasting imprint.

My vision of a movie about my mother includes SO many pivotal moments that are monumentally important towards relaying the journey of a woman whose journey began as a child prodigy born in North Carolina in the 1930's…too many to list here but, trust when I say the tale will inspire through the sheer sharing of HOW Eunice Waymon became Nina Simone, The High Priestess Of Soul renowned worldwide. How many of you know my mother's FIRST love was classical music? Do you know the hours she practiced preparing to audition for the Curtis Institute of Music only to be rejected because of the color of her skin? **After my mother made her transition I accepted a diploma from that very same institute with a speech she began writing but was unable to finish prior to her death.** As a child, my mother was told her nose was too big and she was too dark yet she graduated valedictorian of her high school class – The Allen School for Girls – AND, skipped two grades. Nina was one of the most outspoken, prolifically gifted artists using the stage to speak out against racism during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's. Her friends included Betty Shabazz, Lorraine Hansberry (my godmother), Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Miriam Makeba, Stokely Carmichael, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings and Queens worldwide. Had she become a classical pianist, which was her dream….shattered, I doubt she would have found her true destiny. Nina Simone was a voice for her people and she spoke out HONESTLY, sang to us FROM HER SOUL, shared her joy, pain, anger and intelligence poetically in a style all her own. My mother stood up for justice, by any means necessary hahahaha YES, she was a revolutionary til the day she died. From Tragedy to Transcendence – MY VISION. The whole arc of her life which is inspirational, educational, entertaining and downright shocking at times is what needs to be told THE RIGHT WAY.

By the way:

Clifton Henderson was gay. He was not attracted to women. So, the truth is…Nina Simone and Clifton Henderson NEVER had a relationship other than a business one.

Please correct me, but isn't a biopic the story of one's life?

I have faith things will work out the right way and my mother's real story will be told. For all she endured while here and all of the lives she has touched, she DESERVES to be remembered for who she truly was; not some made up love story from a former nurse/manager (now deceased) who sold his life rights because of his relationship to Nina Simone.

Ciao Y'All….Simone

So there ya go! In her own words. 

I'd close this out and say that all this negative attention just doesn't bode well for the project at this point. It's already scheduled to begin shooting in the fall, so maybe nothing is going to stop, or even slow down this train.

But we'll see… it won't be the first time an unauthorized project has moved forward; although some would argue that a lack of influence by the person, or anyone related (personally or in business) to the person who's at the center of the biography, could have some effect on the overall project, as we've seen in recent years with planned projects centered on the lives of prominent figures like Martin Luther King Jr that have stalled because influential parties who were close to him, took issue with planned depictions of his so-called vices.

In essence, they wanted a hagiographies.

Not that I'm implying that's the case here with this Nina Simone project; just offering some further insight.