Former Bayonetta Voice Actress Hellena Taylor Denies Lying Over ‘Bayonetta 3’ Pay Dispute, Contradicts Own Recollection Of The Event
Hellena Taylor has dismissed claims that she lied about her Bayonetta pay dispute. In doing so, the voice actress seemingly contradicted her own recollection of the event by revealing PlatinumGames’ initial pay offer was different than the one she had claimed.
PlatinumGames initially claimed the character of Bayonetta was now being voiced by Jennifer Hale as “Various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role.” The former Bayonetta voice performer alleged this information was false, however.
Along with having plenty of spare time to take the role, the voice actress claimed PlatinumGames sent her an “insulting offer.” Even after reaching out to Bayonetta series creator Hideki Kamiya, she claimed their final offer was $4,000. “This is an insult to me. The amount of time that I took to work on my talent, and everything that I have given to this game and to the fans.”
Taylor called on fans to boycott Bayonetta 3, giving the money they would have given to charity. She confessed to having suffered depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts due to “people all over the world who do not get paid properly for their talents,” and didn’t fear reprisal from breaking her NDA. “I can’t even afford to run a car. What are they going to do, take my clothes? Good luck to them.”
Insider sources speaking to Bloomberg and others then claimed Taylor’s initial offer was $3,000 to $4,000 across five sessions (four hours per session), which would have totaled at least $15,000. This was allegedly a significant increase from her alleged pay for Bayonetta 2. In response, the performer allegedly demanded a six figure pay and residuals.
As “lengthy negotiations” broke down, a new voice actress for Bayonetta 3 was sought. Insiders also corroborated she had previously suffered “depressive episodes” and was reportedly offered a cameo role later, paying $3,000 to $4,000 for a single session.
Taylor denied these claims as “an absolute lie, and a complete joke,” and that she would “like to put this whole bloody franchise behind me quite frankly get on with my life in the theatre.” While Taylor gave these responses to journalists, Taylor has now spoken out on Twitter once again.
“It has come to my attention that some people are calling me a liar and golddigger. I feel the need to defend myself and my reputation in the industry,” Taylor began; once again filling her tweet with hashtags related to Bayonetta,PlatinumGames, Nintendo, and her call for a boycott.
“As I posted on part three of my video thread. I explained that their first offer was too low. That offer was 10,000 dollars total,” she claims. “Remember, this is 450 million dollar franchise, (not counting merchandise.) I then wrote in Japanese to Hideki Kamiya, asking for what I was worth.”
“I thought that as a creative, he would understand. He replied saying how much he valued my contribution to the game and how much the fans wanted me to voice the game.” This matches what Taylor had said prior, but with her adding the claim “I was then offered an extra 5,0000!”
Fans have been debating that last figure, though it appears to be $5,000 with an additional ‘0’ by mistake, rather than $50,000.
“So, I declined to voice the game. I then heard nothing from them for 11 months,” the voice actress insists. “They then offered me a flat fee to voice some lines for 4,000 dollars. Any other lies, such as 4,000 for 5 sessions are total fabrications.”
If true, this could suggest the final offer of $4,000 the developer made to her would have been for the cameo role, rather than the multiple sessions to voice Bayonetta herself; information Taylor may or may not have intentionally omitted in her original video.
“There were not ‘extensive negotiations.’ I’ve also been informed of ridiculous fictions, such as I asked for 250,000 dollars. I am a team player. I was just asking for a fair, living wage in line with the value that I bring to this game,” Taylor declares.
The former Bayonetta voice actress had also stated she wanted a “dignified living wage” in her original videos. The UK National Living Wage is £9.50 an hour, which roughly amounts to $10.81 USD. It should be noted that even the $4,000 figure, regardless if it was from four or 20 hours of work, vastly outclasses that figure above; let alone the $10,000 and later $15,000 offer.
Kotaku calculated a unionized SAG-AFTRA member should expect $451 per hour for off-camera day performances. Insiders had claimed PlatinumGames had gone with unionized voice actors for Bayonetta 3. Regardless, Taylor clearly disputes what she was offered as being insufficient.
“I was paid a shockingly low total of £3000 total for the first game,” the former Bayonetta voice actress claims. “A little more for the second. I wanted to voice her. I have drummed up interest in this game ever since I started on Twitter in 2011.”
“I could not talk about the game because of NDA’s, but I happily answered fans letters, emails, signed posters, recorded voice messages for weddings and birthdays. I kept up interest in the game during the long periods of radio silence from Platinum,” she asserted.
“The only time I was ever at a game conference, I felt weird asking fans for money for a signature, as they had already paid for the game and I was grateful that they liked my work and the character. So I donated 100% of signing fees to charity,” Taylor insists.
“I will post the 14 charities, so that you can donate to charity, instead of buying this game from corrupt, greedy people.) There are people who are attempting to throw shade and discredit what I say,” she claims.
“The industry is powerful, they have powerful journalists too. They are trying to save their asset. Don’t fall for it!”
At this time of writing, the fourteen charities have not been shared by the voice actress. She did however continue to refute Jason Schreier, author of the Bloomberg article.
“Former Bayonetta voice actor Hellena Taylor now confirms my reporting that she was offered at least $15,000 and that the final offer was for a cameo, despite the claims in a video that went viral last week,” Schreier beamed, showing Taylor’s own tweets. “At least is incorrect,” Taylor tersely refuted.
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