Angela Bassett won Entertainer of the Year at the NAACP Image Awards and in her speech she made a joke that she “did the thing.” Just like the lyrics from Ariana DeBose’s much-panned opening rap from the BAFTAs. When Angela appeared on the red carpet for the Image Awards, she told Variety she reached out to Ariana after the BAFTAs to check on on her and make sure she was okay. That’s nice!
Angela Bassett has simply done the thing once again. After being name-dropped by Ariana DeBose in a rap that opened the BAFTA Film Awards, the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” star tells Variety that she reached out to DeBose in the aftermath to check in on her.
“I DM’d her last night. I did. It was beautiful,” Bassett told Variety senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson on the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday evening. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay because, you know, it’s a lot of attention. And she is A-Okay.”
Bassett’s mention was one of the catchier lyrics in DeBose’s opener. DeBose, who won last year’s BAFTA and Academy Award for best supporting actress for her performance in “West Side Story,” kicked off the British Academy Film Awards on Feb. 19 with a rap that name-dropped several of the evening’s nominees, including directors honored in debut feature and women competing in both the lead actress and supporting actress categories. The production also featured renditions of “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” and “We Are Family.”
The number took on a life of its own on social media in the following days, drawing both derisive commentary and perverse but full-hearted commendations, among a wide range of responses.
Bassett is nominated for the entertainer of the year award at the NAACP Image Awards. During a virtual ceremony earlier this week, she was honored with the body’s award for best supporting actress in a motion picture for her performance in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
It was really kind of Angela to reach out to Ariana and make sure she was okay after she got roasted for that BAFTAs number. I share Kaiser’s sentiment in feeling bad for Ariana that she got so much flack for a silly little thing. I guess Angela felt the same and it’s good that she checked on her because it was a lot of unnecessarily negative attention. Things just snowball on the internet. And Angela Bassett did do the thing so Ariana wasn’t technically wrong. Anyway, in addition to the joke, Angela’s acceptance speech was nice. She thanked Spike Lee, Malcolm X’s wife Betty Shabazz, John Singleton and Ryan Coogler for their impact on her career. And she wore a Greta Constantine dress. Angela always looks great — the color looked lovely on her and I liked the cut of the dress itself, but those sleeves look like giant scrunchies.
Photos credit: cpuk/Avalon, Julie Edwards/Avalon, Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
Angela is such a great example in so many ways. She continues to show her kindness too.
Look at that power couple.
she is just ageless, isn’t she?! I like the look from waist up! wish it was a dress instead of a jumpsuit. A big skirt would balance out the scrunchies.
Still images do not do that woman justice though. The way her face moves, the way she talks and emotes – she looks even better than she does in pictures (which is pretty dang amazing anyway).
How sweet and classy of her. She has been in the business for years and I am sure at some point she has received ridiculous criticism as well (although I can’t think of anything off-hand). I also like how she spoke about it and kind of gently put the people making fun of Ariana in their place. A queen, truly.
This didn’t get covered on here but I just remembered that her son pulled one of those awful pranks we saw on social media. Kids were telling their parents some prominent figure had died and filmed their reactions. While several people did it by using Trump as the example, her son chose MBJ. Filmed it and posted it online — then shortly after he posted an apology video where he was very clearly STILL shaken from the verbal beat down he got from ANGELA BASSETT. Just made me laugh thinking about her yelling at him and then saying to apologize to the world – quit crying and say you’re sorry!!
Someone on the bird app said his parents introduced him to Jesus before the apology video and I fell out my chair laughing. Because we know it’s true.
I think she’s great. The suit looks fantastic except the sleeve detail reminding me of pool floaties.
I like her jumpsuit, even with the crazy sleeves lol. Angela is such a classy lady and she and her husband make such a nice couple. I hope she wins the Oscar but I think its going to be another Chadwick Bozeman situation.
+1
Agree, I actually love this, sleeve detail and all. And I am not a jumpsuit person, lol. She looks fantastic. I love her styling, too. And accessorized with an adoring spouse as is only right!! She’s always been beautiful and amazing and she still is.
I love that jumpsuit, but I feel like the sleeve armature is to costumey.
I love the DRAMA of it!
Honk for more stories about soon to be Oscar winner Angela Bassett.
Honk!
Angela has this innate elegance, no matter what she’s doing or wearing. And you combine that with her talent and beauty, and wow!
I have to add that I fell in love with her in What’s Love Got to Do with It. (And I still haven’t completely forgiven Laurence Fishburne).