BRITISH actress Thandie Newton is reverting to the correct spelling of her name, Thandiwe, after decades in Hollywood, she said in an interview with Vogue last week.
Newton, the daughter of a British lab technician and a Zimbabwean princess, said the spelling of her name, meaning ‘beloved’ in Shona, were changed in the credits of her first acting role in ‘Flirting’ at the age of 16 in 1991.
Now, the ‘Westworld’ star said, she is changing it back.
"That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine," she was quoted as telling the British magazine.
Newton, who has long been an advocate for women and survivors of sexual violence, has been outspoken about racism and sexual abuse in Hollywood.
In the Vogue interview, Newton said ‘Flirting’ director John Duigan asked her to be "a bit darker" for the role, and repeated allegations of what she has previously described as a "coerced" sexual relationship with him.
She recalled other derogatory incidents of racism and sexual abuse, including a director who abused her and then showed others footage of the incident.
"I was traumatised," she told the magazine.
She spoke frankly about her battle with an eating disorder, calling it "the most horrific dance with something that’s supposed to bring you life".
"Black women are truly the nexus where all of this overlaps," she said.
"Think of what else has the potential to heal if we support and care for black women."
– AFP
