Malia Obama accused of plagiarism after directing ad for Nike 'shockingly similar' to filmmaker's Sundance film

Daily Mail​

18-05-2025

An independent filmmaker who premiered her film at Sundance is alleging that a recent Nike advertisement directed by Malia Obama, 26, is 'shockingly similar' to her work.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, 27, shared stills from her film, Grace, alongside shots from Malia's Nike commercial featuring A'ja Wilson that depicted similar images of black girls playing the game pat-a-cake on a stoop.
'Been sitting with this for a while. My Sundance short film Grace (shot brilliantly by Tehillah de Castro) was made with deep love and care,' Natalie wrote in the caption.
'The social cut of the new @Nike commercial directed by Malia Obama (who was also at Sundance my year) feels shockingly similar to my work…'
Natalie went on to say that even though art often overlaps, 'moments like this hit hard when you've poured your heart into telling stories with care and barely get the recognition you deserve.
'If brands want a certain look, why not hire from the source instead of for name recognition?'
Her post quickly went viral, with many sounding off on whether the comparisons were justified or if it was just a coincidence.
'I watched both. Not a copy,' one comment read.
'You're reaching… so black girls playing patty cake is an original image you created?' another agreed.
However, others agreed that the ad looked plagiarized, with one writing, 'You definitely need to sue, this is blatant plagiarism, and you know she saw your short film, you two were competing in 2024! Don't let this go unpunished.'
'That was stolen. Sorry that happened to you,' another agreed.
Natalie also wrote about the situation in a recent essay featured in Business Insider, where she opened up about the shocking moment when she saw the ad.
'At first, I was confused, wondering whether it was real,' Natalie said.
'Initially, I was disappointed and hurt — not just for myself but for my entire team. I sent the commercial to friends who had the same reaction I did,' she continued.
Natalie acknowledged that the game wasn't her invention and said she understood it's a popular playground activity.
However, she noted that the similarities go beyond the stills and extend to the cinematography tools used in both her film and Malia's commercial.
Natalie's film, Grace, depicted a young black girl grappling with her sexuality and religion
Natalie argued that the camera angles, framing composition, and color palette eerily resembled that of Grace.
She even revealed that she crossed paths with Malia at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024, where Grace and Malia's film, The Heart, premiered. Natalie added that she saw Malia at the director's brunch.
'Over time, I've moved through that initial shock into a deeper frustration around how instances like this are very common — and need to change,' Natalie said.
She went on to say that her situation demonstrates a larger issue of brands overlooking independent artists to work with people who already have name recognition.
Natalie is an up-and-coming director whose film, Grace, depicted a young black girl coming to terms with her sexuality and her religion in the south.
Natalie acknowledged that she doesn't own the playground game, but argued that the situation points to a larger issue of independent directors getting overlooked
She graduated from New York University in 2020, and her thesis film was bought by HBO.
'Sometimes it can feel like filmmaking is something that's supposed to be a hobby for the wealthy rather than something that can actually be a career,' Natalie wrote.
Meanwhile, following her tenure as the First Daughter growing up in the White House, Malia attended Harvard University and was honored with the Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize winner for excellence in art.