Previously, the 'West Side Story' actress deactivated her Twitter account and shared a cryptic message on Instagram as her opening performance at the awards show was labeled 'cringe.'
- Feb 23, 2023
AceShowbiz - Ariana DeBose has finally broken her silence on her viral BAFTA Awards rap. The "West Side Story" actress turned to Instagram to comment on her much-derided opening performance for the first time since the event.
The 32-year-old star, who has become a meme following her name-dropping rap, signed off on a roundup of memes and tweets making fun of her viral video. "Babe, wake up, Angela Bassett did the thing," the meme on the Instagram carousel read. In response, the actress wrote on Tuesday, February 21, "Honestly I love this."
During the BAFTAs, Ariana covered the Eurythmics' "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" and Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" but eventually inserted her own rap in which she name-dropped the British award show's female nominees, including Ho-Yeon Jung, Dolly De Leon, Kerry Condon, Carey Mulligan, Emma Thompson, Ana De Armas, Danielle Deadwyler, Michelle Yeoh, Angela, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis.
"All the ladies in the room/ supporting and leading all here, I presume/ Ho-Yeon Jung, Dolly De/ Kerry and Carey with a C/ Dame Emma, I'm so fond/ Ana, girl, you're great in 'Blonde'/ Danielle D, you broke my heart/ Michelle, I've loved you from the start," Ariana rapped. "Angela Bassett did the thing/ Viola Davis my 'Woman King'/ Blanchett Cate, you're a genius/ Jamie Lee you are all of us."
Shortly after the maligned performance sparked online controversy, Ariana deactivated her Twitter account but left her Instagram up and running and used it to post a cryptic message. "Babygirl [sic], in a world full of choices, choose yourself," the post read.
BAFTAs showrunner Nick Bullen later released a statement defending DeBose's unique tune and its reception. "The songs she was singing are very familiar songs, the room was clapping, and people were sort of dancing to the music," he told Variety. "That rap section in the middle, mentioning the women in the room, was because it's been a great year for women in film, and we wanted to celebrate that."
