Adele James breaks her silence on Queen Cleopatra’s ‘blackwashing’ claims

By James On May 10, 2023

Adele James has broken her silence over claims that Jada Pinkett Smith’s docuseries Queen Cleopatra has been blackened.

The British actress, 37, takes on the role of Macedonian-Greek ruler in the latest installment of the Netflix African Queens show, which has sparked a wave of controversy since the release of the trailer.

Director Tina Gharavi recently defended the show after Egyptians reacted with horror to the denial of documents proving Cleopatra was Macedonian-Greek.

An Egyptian lawyer has filed a case with the country’s prosecutor demanding that Netflix be shut down.

Meanwhile, Cairo’s former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass denounced the documentary as “completely fake.” Cleopatra was Greek, which means she had fair skin, not black.’

Now Adele has spoken out about playing the ruler in a new interview and how she’s even received death threats for taking the role.

Speaking up: Adele James has broken her silence over claims that Jada Pinkett Smith’s docuseries, Queen Cleopatra, has been blackened

Cruel: The actress says she even received death threats for taking the role

‘All I can say about it [Cleopatra’s background) is that we just don’t know,’ she told Glamour. ‘There are versions of Cleopatra that exist already with actresses in that role who are fairer skinned than I am, but I think I have every right to have a shot at humanizing this incredible woman.

‘We all put our blood, sweat and tears into that show, and I think anybody else has as much of a right as anybody else to have a go at it because we just don’t know.

‘The death threats that I’ve received, the racist comments, it’s just the vitriol. It’s not necessary, and it’s very harmful, all we did was release a trailer and look at the response, so I’m anticipating a wave still yet to come.’

But Adele has vowed to not be driven off social media from the cruel taunts and horrific trolling.

The trailer, released last week, features claims Cleopatra was black with ‘curly hair.’ One historian asserts in the preview: ‘I remember my grandmother saying to me: I don’t care what they tell you in school, Cleopatra was black.’

Cleopatra was the companion of Alexander The Great, renowned for her marriages and affairs with Marc Antony and Julius Caesar.

Her first language was Greek although she was the only Ptolemaic ruler to use the Egyptian language.

Hot water: Netflix has had to turn off comments for the official trailer of new docu-series Queen Cleopatra

Strong: Adele has vowed to not be driven off social media from the cruel taunts and horrific trolling.

Debate: The Death of Cleopatra, circa 1645-55. Artist Guido Cagnacci

Past film: Cleopatra was famously played by white English actress Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton as Mark Anthony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s historical epic from 1963

History: A painting from a villa at Herculaneum portraying a red-haired woman (left) and an in 1804, showing a romanticized 19th century conception of Cleopatra (right)

‘Blackwashing’ in other films and shows

Anne Boleyn (2021)

Black English actress Jodie Turner-Smith played the Queen of England in a British TV series. Anne Boleyn was white and the second wife of King Henry VIII.

Saint Joan (2020)

Black New Yorker Condola Rashad played the French heroine Joan of Arc in a stage production of the tale set in the 15th century. In the play, Rashad is a gender non-confirming Joan.

Troy: Fall of a City (2018)

In the TV drama, Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, is played by black English actor David Gyasi.

The Hollow Crown (2012 – 2016)

Sophie Okonedo, a Nigerian-British actress, played Queen Margaret of Anjou in the Shakespearean TV adaptation. Margaret, of French descent, was Queen of England and married to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461.

Once Upon a Time (2011 – 2018)

The ABC series about fairytales features a black actor Sinqua Walls as Sir Lancelot.

Lancelot is a British character who features as one of King Arthur’s close companions and one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table. Arthur was a legendary king of Britain and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition.

Robin Hood (2006 – 2009)

The BBC series featured black English actor David Harewood as Friar Tuck.

Friar Tuck is one of the legendary Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood which was set in England’s Sherwood Forest in the 15th century.

On Sunday, lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary filed a complaint with the public prosecutor demanding that he take ‘the necessary legal measures’ to block access to Netflix.

He alleged the show featured content that violated Egypt’s media laws and accused Netflix of trying to ‘promote the Afrocentric thinking… which includes slogans and writings aimed at distorting and erasing the Egyptian identity.’

Cleopatra was famously played by white English actress Elizabeth Taylor opposite Richard Burton as Mark Anthony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s historical epic from 1963.

Three years ago plans for a new movie about the queen starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot sparked a backlash from people insisting the role should go to an Egyptian or African actress.

Gadot defended the decision, saying: ‘We were looking for a Macedonian actress that could fit Cleopatra. She wasn’t there, and I was very passionate about Cleopatra.’

The fury at Netflix’s right-on programming comes after it appeared to have ditched the woke messaging last year.

Netflix took a hit in the first half of 2022, losing about 1,170 million subscribers as rivals such as Paramount+ and Disney+ raked them in.

The huge decline was seen by some as a direct consequence of the company’s late response to demands from its viewers to tone down their woke agenda.

But after deciding to back figures like comedian Dave Chapelle it bounced back. Netflix added 1.75 million new subscribers for the quarter of 2023, nearly 550,000 more than consensus estimates, and a stark contrast to the loss of 200,000 subscribers the company suffered in the same period last year.

The four-part Cleopatra series will explore the legacy, intellect and life of Cleopatra VII, the Greek Queen of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC.

The trailer notes that Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty but then goes on to dispute her heritage.

The two-minute official Trailer uploaded on April 12 has already amassed over 1.9 million views on YouTube.

Meanwhile, Netflix has been forced to turn comments off on the official trailer, after it was met with controversy.

Queen Cleopatra will be available to stream on Netflix from May 10.