As you probably remember, Fantasia Barrino is pregnant. The father is her on-again (never off, actually) married lover, Antwaun Cook. As far as I know, Antwaun and Paula Cook’s divorce is still being finalized, so Antwaun isn’t even really single right now, much less when he conceived this baby with Fantasia. But that’s nothing new – Antwaun and Fantasia have been having an affair for several years now, and she was also pregnant with his baby last year – she had an abortion that time.
Last week, Page Six had an interesting story about another long-gestating project for Fantasia – apparently, she was cast in the lead role in a bio-pic about gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Producers of the film are pissed off that Fantasia didn’t tell them about her pregnancy sooner, and Mahalia Jackson’s family is pissed off that an abortion-havin’, unmarried, pregnant homewrecker is going to be playing the beloved Queen of Gospel.
Members of legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson’s estate are aghast that 2004 “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino has become pregnant by a married man as she prepares to play the Queen of Gospel in the biographical film “Mahalia!”
Producers are also furious with Fantasia, 27, for not telling them about her unexpected pregnancy until she was four months in. “She [initially] claimed that she was putting on weight for the role,” an insider said.
Production of the movie has been pushed back because of Fantasia’s pregnancy with her married boyfriend, Antwaun Cook.
“The family thinks if Fantasia plays the role, it’s going to sully the name of Mahalia,” executive producer Adrian Taylor told us. “They think she’s got the wrong image, having a child out of wedlock.”
Barrino’s pregnancy has also caused chaos with scheduling conflicts because filming has been delayed until after her due date on Dec. 27. Director Euzhan Palcy may be forced to drop out of the project. Producers are now scrambling to finish the movie by fall 2012. Barrino has been asked to start filming as soon as January and is in negotiations to alter her contract to allow time for breast-feeding and nurturing her child on set. In the meantime, producers are working to find a replacement if Barrino doesn’t agree to start shooting after New Year’s. Missy Elliott has been suggested. Because of the unexpected bump, the film’s budget has been increased from $23 million to $27 million.
Dino Gankendorff, who represents Mahalia Jackson’s estate, told us, “I’m not really aware of any objections that the heirs have to the casting of Fantasia. I understand that they were getting ready to film and that she is pregnant, and I don’t know who is she pregnant by.”
Barrino’s rep said, “This is the first time I’ve heard about this. I have no comment.”
[From Page Six]
So, magically, Fantasia called in to the Wendy Williams show yesterday to do some damage control. ‘Tasia revealed the sex of her baby, and her due date, but she didn’t want to talk about Antwaun. She did want to talk about how the Mahalia Jackson report “almost” made her go into labor. Now don’t you feel bad for calling her a homewrecker?
Fantasia Barrino has revealed the sex of her baby – and that she’s due Dec. 29.
“I’m having a boy. I’m at home, I’m on bed rest right now,” she said Tuesday in a phone interview on The Wendy Williams Show.
Barrino – already mother to a daughter Zion, 9 – still has not spoken about the baby’s father, but the singer has most recently been romantically linked to Antwaun Cook. Their relationship made headlines last summer after his divorce from Paula Cook was linked to his affair with Barrino, 27.
“I’m not gonna talk about that,” she told Williams when pushed to discuss any relationship with Cook.
Williams asked the question after reports surfaced that family members of the late gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, whom Barrino was set to play in a upcoming biopic, were angry with Barrino because she is allegedly pregnant with a married man’s baby.
“I almost went into labor, because it was the first time that I’ve heard anything about that,” Barrino said of hearing the report. “Haven’t spoken to the family yet, haven’t heard anything from the family, so that was my first time hearing anything about it.”
Barrino does respond to one rumor, however: That she caused trouble for the film because she neglected to tell producers she was pregnant.
“There were no contracts signed, and there was no set date and time,” she says of possibly starring in the film. She also says she hasn’t heard from the producers recently, but that she had studied Jackson’s life and her singing in order to work on her portrayal. “I began to gain the weight, I began to study her,” Barrino said. “And then they called us back in January and said the investors had backed out. So they were waiting on investors.”
She added, “I wanted to make the family proud, and most of all, I wanted to make Mahalia Jackson proud – and my fans and everyone who’s been following me.”
[From People]
I don’t cover Fantasia that often, but whenever I do, it always takes me a second to get a handle on how much of an idiot she is, and how she only surrounds herself with enabling, sycophantic morons too. Her publicist always throws questions back to the Lord, like a reporter is going to get Jesus on the line for a confirmation (“Is ‘Tasia a crazy homewrecker?” Jesus: “Yep.”) And Fantasia is just so… ugh. Like, she thinks she’s being clever and playing us all for sympathy, when really she just seems really petty and dumb. Oh, we can’t ask questions about your upcoming film because you may go into early labor! Bitch, please. Worst denial ever.
UPDATE: Now here’s a denial!
The producers behind the upcoming Mahalia Jackson biopic say they’re embarrassed over statements made by financial backer Adrian Taylor to Page Six about Jackson’s family not wanting a pregnant Fantasia Barrino to play the legendary gospel singer in the movie. Double Dutch Productions issued a statement on Tuesday saying Taylor, a financing broker, “didn’t have authority to speak on the film’s behalf” and “is not an employee of this production company … The Mahalia Jackson family has not made any negative comments, none whatsoever, about Ms. Barrino and her participation in this film project.” Taylor had told us production had been delayed because of Fantasia’s unexpected pregnancy.
So… Mahalia Jackson’s family isn’t upset with Fantasia? WHY NOT? God, this film is going to be a mess, right?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
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