Respect, the biopic of the late Aretha Franklin, which is starring Jennifer Hudson, is set to release. With fans eager to see the story, Kecalf Franklin, Aretha’s son has spoken out against the film and is calling for a boycott.
“ONCE AGAIN….. THE FRANKLIN FAMILY (DOES NOT) SUPPORT THE MOVIE THAT IS IN PRODUCTION!!!!!” Franklin issued in a Facebook post. “NOR DO WE SUPPORT THE BOOK ‘THE QUEEN NEXT DOOR’!!!!! NEITHER ENTITY FELT THE NEED TO CONTACT THE (CORE) FAMILY ABOUT ANYTHING!!!!”
The Queen Next Door is a book created in 2019, titled in full The Queen Next Door: Aretha Franklin, An Intimate Portrait. The boycott of the film is caused by what Kecalf states is lack of consultation with the sons or grandchildren of the staff.
“HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT A PERSON AND NOT TALK TO THE PERSONS SONS OR GRANDCHILDREN ABOUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION?” he continued. “HOW CAN YOU PUT A PERSONS FAMILY (IMAGE) IN A BOOK AND NOT ASK PERMISSION? IF YOU ARE A “REAL” FAN OF MY MOTHERS….PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS. ASK YOURSELF….WOULD YOU WANT THIS DONE TO YOU? (side note: the ‘ONLY’ person my mother was in favor of for the movie was JENNIFER HUDSON. period. Everything else is being done against our wishes) (please share).”
Respect won’t hit theaters until October.
