'Mufasa' director Barry Jenkins backs choice to hire Jay-Z, Beyonce's daughter

Barry Jenkins is rushing to Blue Ivy's support amid concerns over her role in Mufasa: The Lion King.

The director revealed at the LA premiere that his motivation behind hiring the preteen had nothing to do with her being Jay-Z and Beyonce's daughter.

"Her parents weren't involved in her booking this film," Jenkins told People Magazine on Monday as nepotism suspicions began with Beyoncé reprising her voiceover role as Nala, while lioness cub Kiara is voiced by Blue Ivy.

"You know, she had read this book, this audiobook Hair Love with my friend Matthew Cherry. And I just really loved her voice. Because [when] this movie begins, it's all voices," he went on. 

"I could just tell that she was going to bring this really wonderful innocence, but also the knowingness of a highly evolved child," Jenkins added.

"And she is... the children in the audience, they're going to see themselves in the character she plays, Kiara. She just brought all the complexity that it demanded."

Jenkins was also surprised at her dedication to the role, as he said, "It was great working with her. She came extremely prepared." 

Blue Ivy worked on Hair Love back in 2020, an animated film adaptation of the book which won an Oscar the same year.

Mufasa: The Lion King comes out in theaters on December 20. However, its December 9 LA premiere coincided with the rape allegations imposed on Jay-Z alongside Sean Diddy Combs, linking to a 2000 MTV VMA afterparty.

"Defendant Sean Combs, along with his longtime friend and collaborator Shawn Carter (a/k/a 'JayZ'), drugged and raped a thirteen-year-old girl at an afterparty following the 2000 Video Music Awards," the suit stated.

"Another celebrity stood by and watched as Combs and Carter took turns assaulting the minor."

Jay-Z shared a lengthy response to the filing on Roc Nation's X account on Sunday, rubbishing the filing as "a blackmail attempt."