An independent filmmaker accused former woman Malia Obama of plagiarizing her work in a recent Nike ad.
Director Natalie Jasmine Harris claims Obama took off a scene in her recent short film "Grace" where two characters play "pat-a-cake" in her Nike ad, starring WNBA star A'ja Wilson. Harris insists that Obama deprived the "movie tools" used to shoot childhood games.
"Initially, I was disappointed and hurt - not only for myself, but for the entire team," Harris told Business Insider.
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Independent film producer Natalie Jasmine Harris Center accused former woman Malia Obama of copying her short "Grace" scene in her new Nike ad. (Getty)
Obama's Nike commercial "Teaching Professionals" featured a young girl who explained to Las Vegas Ace Center A'ja Wilson the intricate choreography of a custom "pat-a cake" game as she initially struggled to keep up.
Harris, 27, claims that the camera’s angles, lenses, frames and even the palette used in the ads echoes similar scenes from “Grace”, which she describes as “black Southern Gothic myopia, tells a baptized girl and questioning her feelings for her best friend.”
"If they want these shots that are similar to mine, why not hire me directly?" Harris asked the business insider.
Harris claims she met Obama, 26, at Sundance's 2024 Director's Brunch and other events, with their short films "Grace" and "Heart" respectively. Malia Ann professional Obama is also a writer for Amazon's main series "Swarm".
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Former woman, Malia Obama. (Getty)
The director “Grace” said her experience expressed a greater sense of frustration that big brands were reluctant to offer opportunities to rapidly grow filmmakers. She said brands are reluctant to seize opportunities from unknown filmmakers, resulting in losses in innovative films and original storytelling.
"The route that used to work for the world's spike Lee and Steven Spielbergs in the past feels less viable today. How will the next generation of filmmakers exist if we keep getting overlooked?" Harris told business insiders.
Harris enjoyed quite a bit of her commercial work, photographing attractions for Verizon and Hyundai. Her student film Pure was purchased by HBO, but she still described independent filmmaking as “struggle” and said she relies on freelancers to pay her bills.
She said she hasn't heard it from Obama or Nike since she started talking about the similarities.
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Obama directed WNBA star A'ja Wilson in the commercial. (Grace Smith / Indystar / USA Today Network via Imagen Images)
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The filmmaker claimed she was reluctant to ask the question, worried about hiring the president's daughter and a major brand, but felt she had to solve the major problems in her industry.
“I’ve poured too much work to sit down and watch.”
Obama, Nike and Harris did not respond to Fox News' requests for comment.