Update, 10/21/22:
Bayonetta 3 Platinum Games developer, former Bayonetta voice actor Hellena Taylor, was accused of demeaning with “immoral” compensation (which has since been disputed by Bloomberg reports – see original story below), reacted to the ongoing voice actor controversy surrounding its game. The studio did not directly address any of Taylor’s complaints, choosing instead to speak out in support of new Bayonetta voice actor and Taylor’s replacement, Jennifer Hale.
Here is Platinum Games’ full statement:
Original story continues below…
Original story, 10/19/22:
Over the weekend, former Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor released a series of videos on Twitter explaining why doesn’t she come back to voice the main charactersays she was only offered $4,000 to perform in the game.
Taylor was replaced by acclaimed voice actress Jennifer Hale, known for her roles as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series and hero Ashe in the Overwatch series. Bayonetta Platinum Games developer told Game informant Within our cover story, this change happened due to “Many overlapping cases.” Taylor is silent on the matter, and many attribute this to the common non-disclosure agreements in the video game industry. However, on October 15, she has released many videos explained that she was offered “immoral” compensation, which caused the Internet and Bayonetta fandom to rage towards Platinum.
However, one Bloomberg story, further corroborated by Video game chroniclerevealed new details that show there’s much more to this story and that Taylor’s claims are believed to be untrue.
Based on By Bloomberg sources with knowledge of these events and how they unfolded, Platinum was determined to have Taylor voice Bayonetta. The studio offered her $3000 to $4000 per session to voice the character, with plans for at least five sessions, including four hours in the voiceover studio (VGC’s sources say it could be as little as four sessions). Bloomberg also viewed the document to further confirm these negotiations. One of VGC’s Sources told the publication that the offer, which totals around $15,000, is a significant increase over what she received for Bayonetta 2.
In response to this, Taylor is said to have asked for a six-figure payout and the rest in the game. Platinum turned down the offer and, after the two sides could not come to an agreement, began holding auditions for a new voice actor. Hale was given the role. Bloomberg reports that Platinum then offered Taylor a cameo in the game, with payment for a session, but she declined.
Taylor said Bloomberg in an email that recounting these events was “an absolute lie” and that Platinum was “trying to save their ass and the game.”
“I want to put this whole bloody franchise behind me quite frankly [and] continue my life in the theater,” she wrote in the email, according to Bloomberg. Neither Platinum nor Nintendo responded to a request for comment from the publication. Taylor repeated the same sentiment with VGC in private messages, according to the publication’s story.
Bayonetta 3 hit Switch on October 28.
[Source: Bloomberg, Video Games Chronicle]
