Jennifer Hale, the voice actress behind Bayonetta in the upcoming Bayonetta 3, has issued a statement about the situation surrounding the character’s previous voice actress, Hellena Taylor, and her claims of being underpaid to reprise her role.
Controversy exploded over the weekend when Bayonetta’s original voice actor, Hellena Taylor, went to Twitter and claimed how Bayonetta 3 developer PlatinumGames only offered her a $4,000 flat rate to work on the entire game. She urged fans to boycott the game as well. Taylor argued that the payment offer was not adequate in comparison to her years of experience, noting that she had a friend write a letter in Japanese to PlatinumGames executive producer Hideki Kamiya to see if she could be paid a living wage for the game.
Hale, who ended up taking over the role, took to Twitter today to weigh in on the controversy. “Anyone who knows me, or has followed my career, will know that I have great respect for my peers, and that I am an advocate for all members of the community. I am under an NDA and am not at liberty to speak regarding this situation. My reputation speaks for itself,” Hale tweeted. “I sincerely ask that everyone keep in mind that this game has been created by an entire team of hard-working, dedicated people and I hope everyone will keep an open mind about what they’ve created. Finally, I hope that everyone involved may resolve their differences in an amicable and respectful way.”
About Bayonetta 3: pic.twitter.com/e4VrclEQIm
— Jennifer Hale (@jhaletweets) October 17, 2022
Jennifer Hale is best known for her voice roles as the female Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect games, as well as Rivet in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. She was cast in the role of Bayonetta, initially surprising fans of the series. Taylor clarified that she did re-audition for the role, but turned it down after receiving the $4,000 offer. It’s currently unknown how much PlatinumGames offered Hale to take on the role.
Taylor wished Hale the best in a Twitter video, but also lashed out at the casting decision. “They now have a new girl voicing her over, and I love actors and I wish her all the joy in the world and all the jobs, but she has no right to say she is Bayonetta.”
Neither PlatinumGames nor Nintendo has provided statements on this matter so far. However, Kamiya responded over the weekend on Twitter, saying, “Sad and deplorable about the attitude of untruth. That’s what all I can tell now.”
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