Lifetime’s Aaliyah biopic has a new star in Alexandra Shipp, who has taken on the role following Zendaya Coleman’s departure from the project.
Talk show host Wendy Williams, who is executive producing the made-for-TV movie, announced the casting news on Twitter Friday. “I'm excited to exec produce the Aaliyah @lifetimetv movie w/ @DebraMChase,” she wrote. "Prod starts later this month and @AlexShipppp will play Aaliyah.”
Shipp is best known for playing KT Rush in Nickelodeon’s House of Anubis. She’s also appeared in ABC Family’s Switched at Birth and Showtime’s Ray Donovan.
Before Shipp stepped into the titular role, Disney star Zendaya Coleman was tapped to play the R&B singer that tragically died in a plane crash at the age of 22. However, Coleman ultimately decided to walk away from the project, implying that she felt that the movie was not going to properly honor Aaliyah.
“She's been an inspiration and influence in my whole career, her talent still shines brighter (than) ever,” Coleman tweeted last month. “All I wanna do is honor her.”
Coleman offered an in-depth explanation for walking away from the Aaliyah biopic in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “After actually starting the project, I feel like there were certain things that were missing and things that weren’t 100 percent taken care of,” Coleman explained. “I feel like if I’m going to portray one of my idols … it has to be done right,” she added. “It just wasn’t a good choice for me.”
GET THE FREE uINTERVIEW iPHONE APP FOR LATEST NEWS UPDATES
https://youtu.be/J2sWnFfBJqg Russian strikes hit several districts of Kyiv, Ukraine, overnight into Nov. 7, officials said,…
Gascón recently shared his office’s decision to recommend the Menendez brothers be resentenced, but now Hochman…
Australian breakdancer Rachel "Raygun" Gunn retired from competitive breakdancing after the backlash she received for her performance…
https://youtu.be/9_ostoap3uM A mother bear and her two cubs were tranquilized in Crown King, Arizona, on…
https://youtu.be/iH2RzAy6hbo Several people were injured and multiple structures were impacted by a “fast-moving” brush fire burning in California’s Ventura…
LaPaglia also shared details from the abusive relationship she endured with Bryan, which saw him…