Malia Obama, the daughter of former President Barack Obama, was caught in a huge scandal, and now she faces serious plagiarism allegations over her Nike commercial debut.
See the tweet below.
The Harvard graduate’s work bears striking similarities to an independent filmmaker’s project, raising questions about whether celebrity status once again trumps original talent in the corporate world.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, a 27-year-old independent filmmaker, has accused Malia Obama of copying her short film “Grace” in a Nike commercial.
Harris shared compelling side-by-side comparisons showing remarkably similar camera angles, shot compositions, and color palettes between her Sundance-premiered film and Obama’s Nike advertisement featuring basketball star A’ja Wilson.
The controversy emerged after the Nike ad debuted on May 6, promoting a sneaker called “The A’One.”
The accusations are particularly damning because Obama and Harris met at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where both had projects in competition.
The most controversial similarity involves a specific scene showing two young Black girls playing pat-a-cake on a stoop.
Harris’s film’s personal and central shot appears nearly identical in Obama’s commercial.
Neither Malia Obama nor Nike has responded to the allegations, maintaining a telling silence as the controversy grows.
Despite dropping her last name professionally to avoid the “nepo baby” label, the former first daughter appears to be benefiting from her family connections in the industry.
This case exemplifies the ongoing problem of well-connected individuals receiving opportunities while truly original voices struggle for recognition.
The controversy has sparked significant debate online, with many viewers agreeing with Harris that the similarities are too specific to be coincidental, while others dismiss them as standard filmmaking techniques.
“It’s devastating. I know art overlaps, but when you pour your heart into telling stories with care and barely get recognition, it stings,” Harris wrote.
Harris has been careful to note that her frustration is aimed more at the industry than at Obama personally.
In her public statements, she pointed to a troubling pattern in which major brands consistently choose celebrities and those with name recognition over supporting emerging independent artists.
This practice hurts individual creators and stifles innovation and originality across the creative industries, essentially robbing Americans of fresh perspectives while rewarding the already privileged.
In an essay for Business Insider, Harris expanded on her concerns about the plagiarism allegations and the broader issue of corporate America overlooking independent artists.
“It’s not about the game, It’s about the cinematic tools used to depict it,” Harris explained.
This makes it clear that her objection is not simply about the subject matter but the specific artistic choices that appear to have been lifted from her work.
Moreover, the filmmaker’s words highlight the struggle faced by countless American artists whose creativity is exploited while credit goes elsewhere.
The controversy surrounding Malia Obama’s Nike commercial underscores a persistent problem in America’s creative industries.
While Obama attempts to distance herself professionally from her family name, she appears to benefit from the connections and opportunities it provides.
This situation underscores a broader conversation about originality and fair opportunities that are long overdue but desperately necessary within the entertainment industry.
The outcome of this dispute may affect the parties involved and inspire advocates for change to fight harder for equal artistic recognition.
Malia Obama accused of plagiarism after directing ad for Nike 'shockingly similar' to filmmaker's Sundance film https://t.co/2O6a6ADsyC
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) May 18, 2025
