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Angela Bassett just did that thing again. After Ariana DeBose dropped her name in a rap that opened the BAFTA Film Awards, the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ star told Variety that she reached out to DeBose to check on her afterwards.
“I DMed her last night. I did. It was beautiful,” Bassett said to Variety’s senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson on the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards Saturday night. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay because that’s a lot of attention. And she’s A-Okay.”
Bassett’s mention was one of the more catchy lyrics in DeBose’s opener. DeBose, who won last year’s BAFTA and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in West Side Story, opened the British Academy Film Awards on February 19 with a rap that brought fame to several of the night’s nominees, including directors made honored in debut film and women competing in both Lead Actress and Supporting Actress. The production also included renditions of “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” and “We Are Family”.
The number took on a life of its own on social media in the days that followed, drawing both derisive comments and perverted but wholehearted praise alongside a multitude of reactions.
DeBose’s official Twitter account has been deactivated since the event. However, the actor acknowledged the situation with a post on Instagram on Saturday morning: “The internet is wild y’all! Appreciate all the love.”
In an interview with Variety, BAFTA Awards Producer Nick Bullen called the criticism of DeBose’s performance “incredibly unfair” and described the musical direction and choreography that went into the number: “Everyone I spoke to and everyone in the room was absolutely thrilled.”
Bassett is nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the NAACP Image Awards. During a virtual ceremony earlier this week, she was honored with the Body’s Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.