The Times - UK (2020-08-07)

the times | Friday August 7 2020 1GM 17

News

A black actress has apologised for
playing Nina Simone in a Hollywood
biopic because she had to darken her
skin and wear a prosthetic nose.
Zoe Saldana, who appeared in the
Star Trek and Marvel films, had been
criticised for appearing as the
acclaimed blues and jazz singer and
civil rights activist.
Simone’s estate refused to endorse

The mother of the television presenter
Caroline Flack accused a police officer
yesterday of being responsible for her
daughter’s suicide by pursuing a court
case against her because she was famous.
As the two-day inquest for the Love
Island and X Factor presenter ended,
Chris Flack told Detective Inspector
Lauren Bateman that she should be
“disgusted” with herself for pursuing
criminal charges against the advice of
prosecutors. Ms Flack claimed that Ms
Bateman “had it in” for her daughter.
Flack, 40, was found dead in her flat
in Stoke Newington, north London, on
February 15 by her twin sister, Jody,
who tried to resuscitate her.
The presenter hanged herself a day
after learning that prosecutors intended
to pursue a case against her after her
boyfriend, Lewis Burton, had dialled
999 and said she had been trying to kill
him during a drunken row that began
when she checked his phone and
suspected him of cheating. Flack had

told police investigating the incident, in

the early hours of December 12, that

Burton, a former tennis player and

model, had “called police to punish her”,

and that before doing so, he had told her

“You’re f***ed”, Poplar coroner’s court,

east London, was told.

Police who arrived at the scene found

Flack’s mother blames police for suicide

Flack “naked and covered in blood,

apparently from cuts to her left wrist”

that she caused with broken glass from

a candle holder. She was said to have

required surgery for her injuries.

Burton had taken photos of the

bloody fight scene and sent them to an

ex-girlfriend, the court was told. They

subsequently appeared in the press.

Flack had become increasingly

anxious at the prospect of a trial. After

her death police found a note in her flat

in which she said: “Please let this court

case be dropped and myself and Lewis

find harmony.”

On Wednesday the Crown Prosecu-

tion Service said that it had initially

advised that Flack should be cautioned.

The prosecutor, Alison Wright, had

said that the public interest threshold

for prosecution had not been met

because she had admitted her guilt

promptly, including by saying she

had “whacked” him and she knew it was

not right and had not intended to hurt

him. Guilt is a condition for a caution,

which remains on an individual’s

record but does not require a court

appearance.

Ms Bateman pushed for a charge and

a court case because she did not think

Flack had admitted sufficient guilt.

In court yesterday Ms Flack told Ms

Bateman: “I just think you should be

disgusted with yourself because there’s

nothing now we can do to bring Caroline

back and this did not need to happen. I

hope you regret this in time.” She added:

“That girl killed herself because you put

that appeal through. I will never get

Caroline back. She is not an abuser.”

Ms Flack also asked Ms Bateman

whether she had gone to see Flack in

the custody suite, and she said she had

not. “Why didn’t you go and see her?”

Ms Flack asked. “She had cut her arm to

the muscle. You never went to see her.”

The court was told that Flack had

attempted suicide at least three times,

including on the night before her death.

Paramedics said that she was advised to

go to hospital but she refused because

she was concerned about publicity.

Ms Flack, who has previously

accused prosecutors of pursuing a

“show trial”, told Ms Bateman: “You

took her [Flack] away; he [Burton] was

allowed to take pictures of the blood

of Caroline, send them to friends and

they appeared in the press. You didn’t

investigate it.”

Mary Hassell, the coroner, recorded

a verdict of suicide, saying: “Caroline

Flack had fluctuating mental ill health

... the more famous she got, the more
some of these difficulties increased
because she had to cope with the media
in a way most of us don’t.
“When things went wrong for her in
December, she didn’t have any privacy.
That was incredibly distressing. She
faced the prospect of not working in the
job she loved, of losing a great deal.”
She added: “I find the reason for her
taking her life when she did was that she
knew she was going to prosecuted for
certain, and she knew she would face
the media, the press, the publicity.”
6 The Samaritans are available 365 days
a year by calling 116 123 free of charge or
emailing [email protected].

Fariha Karim

Caroline Flack’s mother, Chris, said that

a detective “had it in” for her daughter

the 2016 film, Nina, and Lisa Simone

Kelly, the singer’s daughter, had

questioned the casting decision of an

actor of Dominican and Puerto Rican

descent.

Saldana, 42, had previously defended

the use of skin-darkening make-up but

has now said: “I should have never

played Nina.”

In an interview on Instagram with

Steven Canals, creator of the US

television drama Pose, she said: “I

should have done everything in my

power to cast a black woman to play an

exceptionally perfect black woman.”

Simone, who died in 2003 at the age

of 70, focused on the marginalisation of

her life as a dark-skinned black woman.

During an emotional interview,

Saldana said the singer “deserved

better” after apologies by white actors

and comedians for “blacking up” to play

black characters.

“I thought back then that I had the

permission [to play her] because I was a

black woman,” she said. “And I am. But

it was Nina Simone. And Nina had a life

and she had a journey that should have

been — and should be — honoured to

the most specific detail.”

In 2013 Saldana had said: “Let me tell

you, if Elizabeth Taylor can be Cleopatra,

I can be Nina, I’m sorry. It doesn’t

matter how much backlash I will get for

it. I will honour and respect my black

community because that’s who I am.”

I’m sorry, says actress who darkened her skin to play Nina Simone

David Brown

Zoe Saldana wore a prosthetic nose

to play the singer Nina Simone, right

JOE GIDDENS/PA

Cyclists gain priority,

in a roundabout way

I

t is rare for a

roundabout to be

hailed as a “little

piece of heaven”

(Neil Johnston

writes). Yesterday,

however, the first in

Britain to prioritise

cyclists over cars was

being greeted warmly by

road users in

Cambridge, despite its

£2.3 million cost.

The roundabout,

based on a Dutch model,

gives cyclists the right of

way on both the outer

ring and across each of

the four approach roads.

The Fendon Road

interchange also

includes zebra crossings.

Motorists have to give

way to pedestrians and

cyclists.

While cyclists have

priority, they must slow

down to check that cars

are stopping before they

cross each exit. The lane

widths and geometry

have been changed to

discourage faster

driving.

Cambridgeshire

county council said that

the previous roundabout

“was perceived by many

people to be dangerous

to cycle around” and

people also “reported

feeling unsafe when

walking in the area”.

Some drivers and

cyclists have questioned

the safety of the set-up

but Roxanne De Beaux,

executive director of

Cambridge Cycling

Campaign, said the new

roundabout “feels like a

small piece of Dutch

cycling heaven”. She

added: “I feel very safe

with this layout — the

geometry made it easy

to see the cars leaving

and approaching the

roundabout and the

people driving were all

giving way.”

Ian Bates, chairman of

the council’s highways

committee, said that the

roundabout would

encourage more people

to walk and cycle. “It is

great to see

Cambridgeshire leading

the way,” he added.

However, as people

began using the

roundabout near

Addenbrooke’s hospital,

some were worried it

could be a collision

hotspot. Adam Brown

said: “It’s really awful to

cycle round. The

previous roundabout

had problems but this

is worse.”

Another user, Graham

Smith, tweeted: “Just

cycled round the £2.5m

Dutch roundabout. No

other cyclists in sight.

White elephant maybe.”

But Anne Beamish

said: “Found the new

design really intuitive —

for all users. Been in

Cambridge 30+ years

and it was the first time I

actually felt safe cycling

round a roundabout.”

Sam Davies, leader of

the Queen Edith’s

Community Forum,

warned that the junction

was “unknown territory”

for British drivers.

The Cambridge roundabout’s narrow lanes and a tight geometry slow down vehicles to help to emphasise that cyclists and pedestrians have priority

Cyclists enter and

exit roundabout

on the red lanes

Parallel pedestrian

and cycle crossing

Narrow car lanes

encourage drivers

to slow down

Drivers entering

and exiting give

way to cyclists on

the roundabout

Additional

give-way markings

reinforce presence

of crossing