Zoe Saldaña is facing a fresh wave of criticism over her portrayal of Nina Simone after a viral Threads post celebrating 'The New Black Hollywood' prompted users to revisit the 2016 biopic Nina.
A reply under the FilmmakerLife carousel branding the Oscar-winning Emilia Pérez and Avatar star 'miss blackface' had attracted more than 4,200 likes and 350 comments by 25 August 2026, turning a post about Black Hollywood's current power players into a renewed debate over one of Saldaña's most controversial roles.
The backlash centres on the decision to cast Saldaña as Simone, a dark-skinned Black singer, pianist and civil rights activist, and to alter the actress's appearance with skin-darkening make-up and a prosthetic nose.
Critics had objected to the casting since it was announced in 2012, while the controversy intensified around the film's 2016 release.
The official Nina Simone estate account publicly rebuked Saldaña at the time, telling her: 'Please take Nina's name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.'
A Decade-Old Quote Returns to the Feed
The new Threads discussion has also resurfaced Saldaña's 2016 defence of the film, including comments that are being shared again nearly a decade later. Speaking about the attention surrounding Simone, Saldaña said: 'The fact that we're talking about her, that Nina Simone is trending? We fucking won.' She added that 'for so many years, nobody knew who the fuck she was', before calling Simone 'essential to our American history'.
Those comments came while Saldaña was defending her decision to take the role amid accusations of colourism and blackface. She also argued at the time that there was 'no one way to be Black' and identified herself as a Black woman.
Simone's legacy long predated the biopic: the musician, who died in 2003, was an internationally recognised singer, pianist and civil rights activist known for songs including 'Mississippi Goddam' and 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black'.
Saldaña Later Said Simone 'Deserved Better'
Saldaña's position changed publicly in 2020. During an Instagram conversation with Pose creator Steven Canals about race, Afro-Latinidad and colourism, she became emotional while revisiting the casting and said: 'I should have never played Nina.'
She said she should have used the influence she had at the time to help cast a Black woman who could more specifically reflect Simone's life and appearance.
The actress also acknowledged why those details mattered, saying Simone 'deserved better' and apologising for taking the part. Saldaña said she had initially believed she had permission to play Simone because she herself was a Black woman, but later came to view the singer's identity and experience as requiring more specific representation.
'I know better today and I'm never going to do that again,' she said.
Oscar Success Has Not Ended the Debate
Saldaña has reached major career milestones since Nina. The Guardians of the Galaxy star won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2025 for her performance as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Pérez, adding an Oscar to a blockbuster résumé that includes the Avatar franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The renewed discussion therefore comes as Saldaña is being celebrated at one of the most successful points of her career.
The current backlash concerns a performance released 10 years ago rather than a new casting decision, and Saldaña has already publicly said she regrets accepting the role.
Still, the latest Threads responses have put her original defence and subsequent apology back into circulation as users debate her place in conversations about Black Hollywood.
For Saldaña, Nina remains a rare entry in her filmography that she has explicitly said she should never have taken.
