The director of Mufasa: The Lion King has claimed Blue Ivy got the movie role without help from her famous parents, Jay-Z and Beyonce.
Barry Jenkins, who helmed the 2016 Oscar-winning film Moonlight, cast 12-year-old Blue Ivy as the voice of lioness cub Kiara in the movie.
He's come out to deny that he gave her the role because she's the daughter of music power couple, Jay-Z and Beyonce.
Blue Ivy's "parents weren't involved in her booking this film," he told People magazine.
He revealed he heard the tween narrating an audiobook in 2020, which made him want to hire her for the role.
"You know, she had read this book, this audiobook Hair Love with my friend Matthew Cherry," he said. And I just really loved her voice."
He added, "I could just tell that she was going to bring this really wonderful innocence, but also the knowingness of a highly evolved child.
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."
He also praised her professionalism, saying: "It was great working with her. She came extremely prepared."
Blue Ivy appeared on the red carpet at the movie premiere on Monday along with her famous parents. The family made the public appearance despite the fact that a day earlier Jay-Z was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean 'Diddy' Combs in September 2000.
Jay-Z, 55, has denied the allegations, calling them "heinous" and "idiotic."
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