Obama's daughter accused of copying indie creator's short film: 'I was disappointed and hurt'

Time of India

17-05-2025

An indie creator accused Malia Obama of stealing her work for a big brand commercial that Malia recently made.
Indie filmmaker
Natalie Jasmine Harris
has accused former president Barack Obama's daughter Malia of copying her short film Grace in her Nike advertisement. Harris said she met Malia at Sundance in 2024 when her 'Grace' and Malia Obama's 'The Heart' were both in competition.
Harris made a post on X earlier this month about the shocking similaries and the exact scene which she felt was copied from her film.
Harris told Business Insider that two people playing pat-a-cake was the scene that was similar and to this accusation many people told her that she didn't invent pat-a-cake. "And that's very true. But it's not about the game. It's about the cinematic tools used to depict it," Harris 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. One put together a shot-by-shot photo comparison," she said.
"My cinematographer, Tehillah De Castro, noted a lot of similarities from a technical perspective, from the camera angles to the shots to the framing composition and the color palette."
"It speaks to a larger issue of brands not supporting independent artists and opting for folks who already have name recognition, which doesn't breed innovative films or original storytelling. If they wanted these shots that were similar to my shots, why not hire me to direct?"
'I was hesitant since it involves former president's daughter'
Harris said she would like some acknowledgement from Nike or Malia Obama.
"I was initially hesitant to speak out, since it involves a former president's daughter and a beloved brand like Nike...But I've poured too much into my work to just sit by and watch," she said.
Who is Malia Obama?
Barack and Michelle's eldest daughter Malia Obama is a writer, director. In 2021, Malia graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. But film was her key interest and she many prestigious internships. In 2014 she was a production assistant on the set of 'Extant' and even worked in the writer's room for HBO's 'Girls' in 2015.
In 2017, Malia had a quick stint at The Weinstein Company in 2017. By the time, she ended college, she was fully working in the entertainment industry, In 2023, she doubted as a writer on Donald Glover's viral Amazon Prime Video limited series 'Swarm". In 2024, Malia chose to stop using her last name to come out of her parents' shadow and refeashjioned her name as Malia Ann.