Back
Malia Obama’s Nike Ad Slammed By Sundance Director Over “Echoes” Of Her Short
May 20, 2025
Following Malia Obama‘s short film debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the budding filmmaker is accused of lifting heavy inspiration from a fellow director.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, whose short Grace competed alongside Obama’s The Heart at last year’s festival, said she saw “a lot of similarities” between her title and the former first daughter’s recent Nike ad starring WNBA’s A’ja Wilson.
“At first, I was confused, wondering whether it was real,” wrote Harris in a Business Insider essay about her reaction to discovering the commercial. “It featured two people playing pat-a-cake in a way that echoed an early scene from my 14-minute short film Grace, which is a Black Southern Gothic short about a girl who’s being baptized and questioning her feelings for her best friend.”
Deadline has reached out to reps for Obama and Nike for comment.
Harris noted she met Obama (who uses the professional credit Malia Ann) “at the director’s brunch and a couple other events” when their shorts were both in competition.
@nike
Real ones get their own shoe, and their own rhyme. 👏 The A’One drops May 6 in SNKRS
♬ original sound – Nike
“Initially, I was disappointed and hurt — not just for myself but for my entire team,” she continued. “I sent the commercial to friends who had the same reaction I did. One put together a shot-by-shot photo comparison.
7Shares
0Comments
15Favorites
19Likes
Say something to impress...
Loading...
Comments
Hot

No content at this moment.

Relevant people
Simple Lifestyle
24337 Followers
healthnews
Healthy&Simple
Related