Dionne Warwick shuts down reports surrounding biopic hiatus
"Always get your Dionne news according to Dionne, from Dionne. Stay tuned for updates," Warwick tweeted.
Legendary songstress Dionne Warwick took to Twitter to clarify any confusion surrounding the release of her forthcoming biopic and Scott Rudin‘s involvement moving forward.
A film about the singer’s life was underway, but on Thursday, sources initially said the project would be put on hold amid the rumors surrounding Scott Rudin. The film and theater producer, who was collaborating on the project, has been accused of creating a toxic work environment and assaulting his employees, according to TMZ.
Warwick, 80, recently gained a legion of new fans once she started posting hilarious content on Twitter. So when she pitched a series about her life, Rudin suggested a film. But then former employees of the producer began to speak out and said he is known for his violent temper in the entertainment industry.
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“I got fired for having Type 1 diabetes, which is a federally protected disability,” said Caroline Rugo, a former employee of Rudin, who now works in development at Netflix. Rudin has also been accused of sexual and racist behavior. He also allegedly threw items such as a glass bowl at an employee.
“I one hundred percent could have sued him. But I didn’t because of the fear of being blacklisted. But I’ve worked at Netflix for a year and a half now. And it was such a shock to the system because it’s one of the most respectful and progressive workplaces in terms of employee relations,” Rugo said.
“Now that I have established myself here and I am a part of a team where my opinions are respected and welcomed, I have no issue speaking out about Scott. Everyone just knows he’s an absolute monster.”
Back in January, Rudin began working on the Warwick film and even started hiring writers. But before the deal was solidified, the allegations of his behavior dropped. Due to the recent news, TMZ reported that Warwick and her crew are taking a step back from Rudin to see how things pan out. However, on Thursday afternoon, Warwick took to Twitter to address the situation herself.
Along with a selfie shot video, the “That’s What Friends Are For” singer wrote, “Hey, @TMZ! My biopic with @TEYANATAYLOR is not on pause. I have tapped into a talented mind to help create this with me. Any guesses?”
Warwick started the video off by addressing the Rudin news, saying that she hopes he “comes out on the good side of all this rhetoric that’s going on.” She continues with what she calls the “good news,” confirming that she and Teyana Taylor are still working together on something.
“It’s a series we’re working on based on my life,” she shared. “We got quite a bit of interest which is very exciting. Something extra exciting also happened. I called on one of my dearest friends and asked if he would be a part of this project and he said, ‘of course I will,’ which is exciting for me and will be twice as exciting for you when you find out who this person is.”
However, the singer remained tight-lipped about the special friend and asked her followers to have some fun and guess. Fans have already thrown Lee Daniel, Spike Lee, and Tyler Perry‘s names into the mix.
One fan, who was still confused by the announcement, responded to Warwick, writing, “Here’s where I’m confused — Is there a movie with Teyana in the works or a series? According to the TMZ post, Rudin was attached to a film — not the series.”
Warwick replied, simply stating, “Always get your Dionne news according to Dionne, from Dionne. Stay tuned for updates,” with the smiley face emoji covered with three hearts.
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As per theGrio, Teyana Taylor is slated to play the super star. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Warwick clarified that the biopic wouldn’t be the typical TV movie format.
“It’s going to be a series, we’re planning to do an episodic type of a show,” she clarified. “[Teyana] is certainly a talented young lady with whom I’ve had the pleasure of interfacing. In fact, we had a conversation last night on the telephone. She’s very excited about the prospect of being involved and she’s also going to be very, very much involved in directing it and putting together parts and parcel of how we see this going.”
theGrio’s Tiffany Stewart contributed to this report.
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