Producers of the upcoming Mahalia Jackson biopic have apologized to its star Fantasia Barinno for comments given to the New York Post by a financing broker for the film that were not authorized.
Under the headline “’Idol’ Threat to Gospel Flick,” the Post’s Page Six quoted “executive producer Adrian Taylor” as saying production on the film had to be pushed back because of Fantasia’s pregnancy with her married boyfriend, Antwaun Cook, and that producers were “furious” with the 27-year-old for not telling them about her unexpected pregnancy until she was four months in. Taylor also told Page Six that producers now think Fantasia has “the wrong image” to play the gospel icon because she’s “having a child out of wedlock.”
In a statement to EUR, the film’s producers Double Dutch Productions, LLC claims that Adrian Taylor, who is quoted in the article, is not an executive producer, but rather the film’s “financing broker” whose comments “were not authorized, approved or condoned by the producers of DDP. The information and comments expressed within this article regarding the project were solely those of Adrian Taylor.”
The full statement to EUR reads:
Double Dutch Productions, LLC. (DDP) extends apologies to Fantasia Barrino for the inaccurate, non-factual and disparaging statements of Ms. Barrino’s reputation, character and image, that was stated in the October 7, 2011 article of the NY Post’s Page Six column.
The comments made in the article by financing broker Adrian Taylor, were not authorized, approved or condoned by the producers of DDP. The information and comments expressed within this article regarding the project were solely those of Adrian Taylor.
Taylor is not an employee of this production company nor an active participant of any facet in the producing of this film. Taylor has been reprimanded on two previous occasions for speaking to the press about this project. He was told that he was not a spokesperson nor a producer of the film, nor involved in the production or publicity of the film. Mr. Taylor’s credit of Executive Producer will be valid only pending a final contract for financing. DDP and its producers disavow any statements or comments attributed to this article that were inappropriately made. Mr. Taylor does not speak for this company or the production of this film.
The Mahalia Jackson family has not made any negative comments non-what-so ever about Ms. Barrino and her participation in this film project.
We at DDP want to assure Ms. Barrino that in no way are we responsible for the information that was included in the article. ANY FUTURE COMMENTS FROM OUTSIDE PARTIES REGARDING THIS FILM THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY PROVIDED BY DDP OR ITS PUBLICIST WILL BE DEEMED AS VOID, BOGUS AND INACCURATE.
