Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor called for a boycott of Bayonetta 3 after revealing Nintendo only offered her $4,000 to voice the entire game. Now, Bayonetta’s new voice actress has responded to the controversy.
The gaming community was stunned when Taylor took to Twitter to reveal how little she was offered despite the Bayonetta franchise making tens of millions of dollars. Taylor said she was currently unable to afford to start her car and previously became suicidal as she wondered how she would support herself.
Fans of Bayonetta rallied behind the original voice actress, calling on Nintendo to pay voice actors more fairly. Some even canceled their Bayonetta 3 pre-orders.
“I’m more of a lover than a fighter. But I’m a little more like Bayonetta than I thought,” Taylor said. “If you’re somebody who cares about people, who cares about the world around you, who cares about who gets hurt by these financial decisions, then I urge you to boycott this game.”
At the end of her plea to the gaming community, Taylor explained the back and forth she had with Nintendo over the shockingly low pay rate.
In the end, the studio went with Hale, stating it was “difficult” for Taylor to reprise her role due to “various overlapping circumstances.”
Taylor revealed she was completely free.
Now, Hale has decided to speak up about the boycott on Bayonetta 3.
Jennifer Hale reacts to Bayonetta 3 backlash
As more and more Nintendo fans threatened to boycott Bayonetta 3, Hale came out with a statement. She said she supports every actor’s right to be paid well, something she has advocated for throughout her career.
“Anyone who knows me, or has followed my career, will know that I have great respect for my peers, and that I am an advocate for all members of the community,” Hale said.
But the voice actress added she couldn’t say much else due to being under an NDA. She urged the gaming community to “keep an open mind” about the game despite the controversy surrounding Taylor. Hale explained the game was created by “an entire time” of people that put a lot of work and dedication into the project.
The response to Hale’s tweet was divided online.
Many people said, while they respect Hale as a voice actress, they will never see her as Bayonetta. Others said they were still going to boycott the game, saying nothing will change for underpaid talent if they still purchase it.
But others applauded Hale on her professional statement, adding most people that worked on Bayonetta 3 were probably unaware of Taylor’s mistreatment.
