Ariana DeBose BAFTAs Rap: Producer Calls Out Wild Twitter Reaction, Singer Deactivated Socials?

The 2023 BAFTA Awards have been trending since yesterday, not just because of the well-deserved winners of the annual award-giving ceremony but because of Ariana DeBose's now-viral opening performance.

DeBose was an Oscar-winning, BAFTA-winning, and Tony-nominated all-around singer and actress. She has hosted the Tony Awards 2022 and has received critical acclaim for her impressive singing and dancing capabilities.

However, many fans mocked DeBose for her shocking performance last Sunday at the 2023 BAFTA Opening Performance, as she tried to recognize the female acting nominees in a rap performance highlighting them.

Ariana DeBose BAFTA Performance

Singing to the tune of Eurythmics' "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves," DeBose namecheck the female acting nominees like Viola Davis, Dolly De Leon, Cate Blanchett, Angela Bassett, and even Jamie Lee Curtis on the bit.

But people on Twitter didn't think the performance was "serving," as visibly shown by the actresses' facial expressions as the camera panned on them during the live telecast.

Netizens slammed DeBose's performance, calling it "cringy" and "awkward," among many other things.

"Can't stop thinking about this it's haunting me," a user shared, posting a video of DeBose's performance.

"Who told her this was a good idea?," another asked.

"I did not know it was possible to feel secondhand embarrassment on this level, but wow has this proved me wrong," another user tweeted.

Ariana DeBose Deactivated Twitter Following BAFTA Performance

According to Pop Crave, DeBose deactivated her Twitter account following the backlash she has amassed on her BAFTA Performance.

She has not publicly addressed or spoken out on the fiasco, nor has any of her representatives.

Meanwhile, the BAFTA producers have defended the actress/singer on the widespread flak.

Producers Defend Ariana DeBose BAFTA Performance

Speaking to Variety, BAFTA producer Nick Bullen told the publication that it was actually DeBose's team who created the rap verse, even the choreography itself.

"Angela Bassett did the thing, Viola Davis my 'Woman King,' Blanchett Cate you're a genius, Jamie Lee you are all of us," DeBose sang.

Bullen pointed out that the comments were "incredibly unfair."

"That rap section in the middle, mentioning the women in the room, was because it's been a great year for women in film, and we wanted to celebrate that. And here is a woman of color who is at the absolute top of her game," Bullen furthered.

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BAFTA Film Awards