An independent filmmaker is accusing former first daughter Malia Obama of cinematically plagiarizing her work in a recent Nike commercial.
Director Natalie Jasmine Harris claimed Obama ripped off a scene from her recent short film “Grace” in which two characters play “pat-a-cake” in her Nike commercial, starring WNBA star A’ja Wilson. Harris maintains that Obama ripped off the “cinematic tools” used to shoot the childhood game.
“Initially, I was disappointed and hurt — not just for myself but for my entire team,” Harris told Business Insider.
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Obama’s Nike commercial, “Teaching the Pro,” features a young girl explaining the complex choreography of a customized game of “pat-a-cake” to Las Vegas Aces Center A’ja Wilson as she initially struggles to keep up.
Harris, 27, claimed that the camera angles, shots, framing and even the color palette used in the ad echoed a similar scene from “Grace,” which she described as a “Black Southern Gothic short about a girl who’s being baptized and questioning her feelings for her best friend.”
“If they wanted these shots that were similar to my shots, why not hire me to direct?” Harris asked Business Insider.
Harris claimed she met Obama, 26, at a directors’ brunch and other events at Sundance 2024, where their short films “Grace” and “The Heart,” respectively, were in competition. Obama, who goes by Malia Ann professionally, was also a writer on the Amazon Prime series “Swarm.”
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The “Grace” director said her experience speaks to a larger frustration that big brands aren’t willing to provide opportunities to burgeoning filmmakers. She said that brands’ reluctance to take a chance on unknown filmmakers results in a loss of innovative films and original storytelling.
“The route that used to work for the Spike Lees and Steven Spielbergs of the world feels less viable today. If we’re continuously overlooked, how is the next generation of filmmakers going to exist?” Harris told Business Insider.
Harris has enjoyed her fair share of commercial work, shooting spots for Verizon and Hyundai. Her student film “Pure” was purchased by HBO, but still, she describes independent filmmaking as a “struggle” and says she relies on freelance work to pay the bills.
She said she has not heard back from Obama or Nike since she began speaking out about the similarities.
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The filmmaker claimed that she was reluctant to raise the issue, fearful of taking on a president’s daughter and a major brand, but felt she had to address what she sees as a major problem in her industry.
“I’ve poured too much into my work to just sit by and watch.”
Obama, Nike and Harris did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
