Jennifer Hale, the new lead voice actor in Bayonetta 3, has addressed the previous actor’s call for a fan boycott.
Over the weekend, Bayonetta’s longtime voice actor, Hellena Taylor, spoke out about why she didn’t reprise her role for the third game.
Taylor claimed she’d received a lowball offer of just $4,000 for the entire project. “I was just asking for a decent, dignified, livable wage,” the actor said of the circumstances.
In addition, Taylor asked that fans boycott Bayonetta 3’s imminent release, telling her followers to instead put their money towards charity.
The new Bayonetta 3 voice actor speaks out amid controversy
Today, the new voice of Bayonetta, Jennifer Hale, addressed the situation to the best of her abilities. While Hale remains under NDA, she shared a message on Twitter that opens with the following, “…I support every actor’s right to be paid well and have advocated consistently for this for years.”
With respect to the call for a boycott, Hale added that she hopes audiences will keep an open mind about the game, especially since a dedicated team of people contributed to Bayonetta 3’s creation.
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The Bayonetta 3 actor closed the message by expressing her hope that all parties can “resolve their differences in an amicable and respectful way.”
About Bayonetta 3: pic.twitter.com/e4VrclEQIm
— Jennifer Hale (@jhaletweets) October 17, 2022
It’s easy to understand Hale’s reticence on the matter, given her contractual obligations. Still, as a respected voice in the community, many will undoubtedly appreciate the grace with which she delivered her statement.
Series creator Hideki Kamiya spoke out following Hellena Taylor’s statement, as well. His comments incited outrage, which, in turn, resulted in him blocking a slew of Twitter users. Twitter limited his account for a time following the blocking spree, though he’s since returned to the platform.
Bayonetta 3 hits Nintendo Switch on Friday, October 28.
