Update: Beyoncé Not Involved In Saartjie Baartman Biopic

Carl Williott | January 4, 2016 10:22 am

UPDATE: In a statement to Billboard, Beyoncé’s rep denied the star’s involvement in a Saartjie Baartman film, saying “Beyoncé is in no way tied to this project. This is an important story that should be told, however.” So the British press got something wrong. Siren emoji everywhere. Original post below.

Beyoncé is reportedly set to write and star in a film about Saartjie Baartman, a South African woman who was exhibited in London freak shows, against her will, in the early 1800s due to her large behind. Baartman became famous under her stage name Hottentot Venus, and now stands as a symbol of Western society’s history of exploiting the bodies of women of color. And now, according to The Sun, the woman behind “Bootylicious” wants to tackle the story.

The UK paper reports that Beyoncé has hired a team of acting coaches and writers to bring the project to fruition. It’s being framed as an opportunity for the star to take on a story that’s important to her as well as a chance to land a “breakthrough” movie role, following co-starring gigs in Goldmember and Dreamgirls.

[via DAZED]

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