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Gabrielle Union on 'Birth of a Nation' Controversy: 'We All Got Thrown Out'

The actress speaks on how it affected the cast.

Prior to its release and Nate Parker's sexual assault scandal, Birth of a Nation was projected to be the talk of the year. Some even suspected that it would sweep come awards season. Unfortunately following its release, it failed to make the impact many had anticipated, due largely in part to the controversy that followed its leading man.

Recently, Gabrielle Union, who took a non-speaking role as a slave who is raped in the film, spoke out about how the scandal negatively affected the entire cast.

"It's like we all got thrown out," she said in an interview with Harper's Bazaar. "It's like the baby and the bathwater all went down the drain."

The Being Mary Jane leading lady then went on to point out that Aja Naomi King, whose performance in the film as Nat Turner's wife was highly praised, was overlooked due to the scandal, and this could have been her moment.

"This could have been her big break," she said. "This big job that gives her the accolades and attention that she deserves."

The actress also added that the plight of Black women in Hollywood continues with them being either "hyper-visible or invisible" on movie sets, before adding that "white girl privilege" in the movie world is all too real. She called out white Hollywood favorites Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer and Kate Upton for being praised for their outspokenness, while Black women in the same realm are condemned.

Take a look at the full interview, here.

See what Nate Parker has to say about the backlash against his feature directorial debut, above.

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