Bayonetta's Original Voice Actor Disputes Claims, Says She Only Asked For 'A Fair, Living Wage'

Hellena Taylor has issued a statement addressing people 'calling me a liar and golddigger'

[SullysCigar]

Bored of both sagas now. This disagreement AND the game series. Something fresh, please.

[TheProfessional]

But if it was on playstation....

[RoseSapphire]

No lies found.

If it were on Playstation, Xbox, and PC I would be 100% more interested than I currently am. I feel like this series is wasted on the Switch.

[antikbaka]

it was and it failed to be doomed unless it had been saved by nintendo

[SullysCigar]

Well, if it was on PlayStation, you wouldn't have a problem with my view....

Sure, it would look better, sound better, control better, load better, but it would still be a dated game.

Bayonetta basically aped DMC for the first game, which was great at the time, so i was all for it. DMC moved on, but Bayonetta didn't.

Stellar Blade looks like what the next Bayonetta should be. All the audio-visual progress we should expect, but also greater depth and just a sense that this isn't a relic from the past, but an up-to-date, new game.

I'm fine with retro games, but you have to let a once-cherished IP flourish and grow. GOW is a good example of that when you look at each game.

[GoodGuy09]

Don't we all...

[HollowIchigo25]

how many people have had job offers but didn't like the pay and said no thank you? especially if you work as a freelancer. It happens. she didn't like what they offered, she rejected, move on end of story.

[smashman98]

except that wasn't the end of the story

She turned around and mislead the entire internet in an attempt to garner hate for both Jennifer Hale and Platinum. She started the drama and now regrets doing so. The drama won't end until the clicks dry up.

[Abriael]

Notice how Kotaku is intentionally distorting the story here. The reality of the issue is that that she admitted that she basically lied (while still somehow doubling down on her stance), not that she "disputed claims."

[anubusgold]

They paid Jennifer Hale far more than 4 thousand dollars they just wanted to fire her and didnt want the hate they would get from it.

[smashman98]

@anubusgold there is a possibility that theory is correct. I would have preferred a game featuring the original voice actress. My comment is only in response to the idea the Hellena Taylor simply "didn't like what they offered" and simply "rejected" said offer.

[CorndogBurglar]

@Abriael

She did dispute claims. Did you read the article?

"So, I declined to voice the game. I then heard nothing from them for 11 months. They then offered me a flat fee to voice some lines for 4,000 dollars. Any other lies, such as 4,000 for 5 sessions are total fabrications."

[Imalwaysright]

Exactly. Some people were in an uproar over this and I didn't understand why.

[kayoss]

They low balled her.
It’s like you get a job offer and you were expecting at least 100k but they offered you 65k knowing you have a lot of experience. That’s a slap on the face.

[ChubbyBlade]

She was being offered $4000 per session for 3 sessions. Thats hardly chump change.

[Angyobangyo]

No she wasn't. She wanted six figures plus residuals from game sales. She was asking far too much. She put her offer on the table, Platinum decided they didn't like that offer and moved on. You fell for her deception. See how she changed her tune. She came out swinging saying the was offer ONLY $4000. Then it comes out from inside sources that it was $4000 per session which would have netted her between $15K - $20K. She is going to have a really hard time finding VA work from now on by breaking the NDA and maliciously misleading the public to boycott the game. At this point she better hopes she doesn't get sued. This has backfired spectacularly for her.

[onisama]

i dont think any studio will want to take her in because she went public and asking fans to not buy the game......even a studio that my offer her 6000$ or 10000$ maybe affraid to offer her and contract and she may go to social media again....i think she ended her career she shouldve just say no....while i understand she want a raise but going to social media was wrong for her own sake

[CobraKai]

And she may have breached an NDA which will really raise red flags if her name pops up. Seeing that she has very little credits to her name, this will definitely make getting another gig that much harder as she’s not worth the trouble.

[onisama]

i dont know what she was thinking this is the problem with social media just one moment of frustration or anger can ruin your life or get you into jail in no time...feeling bad for her tho we are only human

[jznrpg]

She didn’t get hired and sign a contract I doubt she broke NDA as she probably never signed one for this game .

[CobraKai]

@jznrpg
I just looked it up and she said she is breaking NDA on her Twitter rant.

I also read that apparently PG was paying her 4K per 5 hour session. I dunno if that’s accurate or not, but that sounds reasonable.

[Imalwaysright]

onisama

She was thinking that she could manipulate people to hurt and denigrate Platinum Games by playing the victim because she knows that the cult of victimhood is unfortunately social currency in this day and age and she almost succeeded. She knew what she was doing and that's why I for one don't have any sympathy for her whatsoever and I would find it rather amusing if Platinum Games has grounds to sue her.

[CobraKai]

@Imalwaysright

What’s unfortunate too is we’ll never really hear the other side due to NDAs. It’ll villainize PG and, to an extent, J. Hale.

I don’t believe Taylor and what really makes me question Taylor is Hale. Hale who is a very seasoned union actress, with several hundred more roles than Taylor, accepted the role, which means there is something Taylor is hiding

Platinum Games will have my support and I will be buying Bayonetta 3.

[gold_drake]

she was offered up to 20kz i think thats more than a fair living wage for a job over that period of time lol.

but i agree. she dug her hole

[GamingSinceForever]

Notice that she isn’t saying what her total worth is here. Again she probably has a point about the low offer but it seems they didn’t want her on the project anymore for whatever reason.

And who called her a gold digger? Do those people even know what that means? Gold diggers aren’t earners, they just have their hands out.

[mandf]

6000 for 4hrs is good money. Rumor is she asked for 100000. We wonder why video games are expensive

[GamingSinceForever]

😂 why are people like you coming on here saying what is good money when it is all relative to what you do?

$6,000 for 4 hours is great money for someone working a 9-5 with healthcare benefits and a 401k. However when you are working in the entertainment industry you don’t get healthcare and a 401k so you can inly get what you negotiate. There is no paycheck every 2 weeks.

[mandf]

So entertainers deserve to be special. They can afford Healthcare fore that. For most people that's 2 months pay. You my friend are the entitled people that sucks out every once of blood from the working class..

[GamingSinceForever]

Where did you see me say anything about special treatment? Where did I say anything about entitlement?

I said depending on what you do determines what the compensation should be.

Most of us think that $1M per year is great money that would last us a lifetime, however most NBA players won’t budge for anything less than $5M per year and that is on the low end. So my point is you can’t state what is good money unless you yourself have experience within said industry. Maybe her requesting six figured isn’t that far-fetched. I don’t think anyone on N4G is qualified to speak on that.

[senorfartcushion]

It’s not when you have no rights and have to job-search during the most economically-uncertain time since 2008.

[Outlawzz]

Career suicide was committed by Ms taylor. Hope it goes well for her in her future endeavors

[ManMarmalade]

A fair living wage? Try not living in luxury. It goes a long way. Some people just want to survive.

[senorfartcushion]

Capitalism wants people like voice actors to have more money than regular people. It’s what Americans prefer voting for. It’s not the actor’s fault, it’s the fault of the austerity asshole politicians and tax avoiding millionaires.

[Auron]

Work is work. She chose not to take it, so P* chose to drop her.

[Abriael]

"disputes claims?"
Way to distort the reality, Kotaku. She literally admitted she lied, and somehow doubled down on her stance that PlatinumGames is in the wrong.
What in the actual F?

[CorndogBurglar]

But.......she did dispute claims.

"So, I declined to voice the game. I then heard nothing from them for 11 months. They then offered me a flat fee to voice some lines for 4,000 dollars. Any other lies, such as 4,000 for 5 sessions are total fabrications."

She literally says the claims of a $4,000 offer for 5 sessions are lies.

It doesn't really matter. She lied about what was offered to her. She tried to make it sound like the studio only offered her $4,000 total in her original rant. She purposely left out the part that they originally offered her $15,000 total and she turned it down. Then when reports fired back, her story suddenly changed.

If you're going to try and damage the reputation of a company and hurt their sales/business by asking people to boycott them, you better be open, honest, and up front about your allegations. Otherwise you just look like a salty liar.

So honestly, I don't believe a word that comes out of her mouth now.

[MrDead]

Gaming CEO's and executives wouldn't even look in your direction for $4000
Taek-Jin Kim, NCSoft — $7,510/hour
Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two — $8,708/hour
John Riccitiello, Unity — $10,578/hour
Frank Gibeau, Zynga — $15,386/hour
Andrew Wilson, Electronic Arts — $16,690/hour
Andrew Paradise, Skillz — $49,674/hour
Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard — $74,333/hour
Robert Antokol, Playtika — $178,850/hour
(This is hourly rate after bonuses and payouts for the people who are confused)

When there is so much money for CEO's and shareholders but not enough to pay the people working on the game a reflective wage, then the system is broken. Bayonetta has earned $450 million, paying the people that have made the game what it is should be the top priority.

[Abriael]

What a completely random and silly comparison.

It's amazing that some still have the audacity to defend this trainwreck.

[sinspirit]

Exactly. Some people really can't accept they were wrong to believe her. She got a great wage offering. Her union has a wage in place that they have evaluated her time is worth. She tried to say she was only getting paid that minimum amount for the game to mislead that she was getting paid that per session. She wanted six figures for 20 hours of work. She is not worth that. She has little voice acting experience or depth. She just happened to be in a lead role and tried to take advantage of it.

Why is she right to ask for six figures for one job when other more seasoned VA's work all year to make that much? They get paid more annually because they are far more experienced and work far more often. A six figure job is not getting paid too little. These voice actors are doing pretty well for the hours that they work and the free travel, food, and events they participate in. If you think voice actors need more money for doing a couple sessions at a huge hourly rate, while getting tons of recognition, perks, travel, lodging, food, side work at conventions, etcetera then you have no grasp on business. You'd have serious developer retention issues if you VA favoritism was that high.

[senorfartcushion]

You just sound like a shouty child, completely unaware of the dispute in-detail.

[CrimsonWing69]

Yea, the problem is people are taking this stance to fight for the underdog without any knowledge of wages specific positions make.

The knee-jerk reaction was because many believed voice actors to make near what film actors make. Doing some simple google research would've benefited these blind defenders and would've actually had most of them call her out.

And again, not understanding how business works they say, "Well it's a $450 million franchise so everyone working on it should be paid accordingly."

With that mentality then baristas should be paid $100,000 a year working for Starbucks since it's a $52.83 billion business and same with McDonald's employees since it's a $187.31 billion company.

The reality of the fact is that voice recording does not take that long and even unions have set a 4-hour day session at making $1000 a day (rounded up estimate). Helena said both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 took 4 days at 4 hour sessions to complete the entire recordings. That would equate to $4000, by the terms set by her very own union.

Now, it comes out that Platinum Games was offering her $15,000 ($3000 per 4 hour sessions) for 5 day sessions at 4 hours each (by union terms that should be $1000 per day equaling a total of $5000) for Bayonetta 3.

But y'know, this is the world we live in where internet knights come to defend based on knee-jerk reactions and cause such a sh*t show to ensue instead of doing some due diligence and waiting for both sides to comment.

[RedDevils]

Lol Damn comedy, comparing Voice actress with a CEO whom can change the whole company earning with a single decision.

[Gamehard]

I'd like to know what exactly she considers a fair and living wage. 15k for a 20 hour work week seems pretty fair to me 🤷‍♂️

[Ristul]

I think the internet is a bad place to have this type of conversation, starting with Ms Taylor's claim. The main thing is that the internet can be a cruel place, and I actually feel symphaty for the woman. She is clearly going through a hard time and this voiceover work for platinum was probably her life-line. She helped shape the gameseries with her voice as the main protagonist, and who knows what that is worth. It's difficult to quantify to be honest.

If she had to do this though, the best way to go about it would have been to be honest from the start. I somewhat agree with her on some level, $15.000 for the third game is perhaps too low considering how iconic her voice is to the character.

On the other hand, the programmers and artists making the game will not make those sums of money (per hour), and I would argue that the work they do is way more important to the game. VO work is kind of the icing on the cake. Most games are fine without it. Bloodborne rings a bell.

[RetroCaptainSteve]

Here are two takeaways from this.

1. I'm still buying Bayonetta 3 because one hell of a team put it together. Drama be damned.

2. I'm sure Jennifer Hale will kill it as Bayonetta. Amazing voice actress.

[SinisterKieran]

I thought she said she wanted to put the whole thing behind her? If so, There was no need for the boycott video in the first place. But here we are, still going.

[moomoo319]

She decided to go public with specific #s, instead of exiting gracefully, and she has to deal with the scrutiny now.

[Michiel1989]

1000 dollars per hour isnt enough for a living? and yeah i know its less because u also have to do autiditions and prep work etc but i dont think anyone should be complaining with that kind of hourly rate.

[BrainSyphoned]

Smelt like shit to start with. Just like every "industry person" on N4G trying to prop up their perceived issues.

[mastershredder]

Her own terms, which was Six figures for less than two work weeks (it's less) hours from a part time voice actor that does not work much, is not reputable and is not on good terms or held in high regard in the industry (with exception of disconnected fans).

Getting to play Bayonetta was like winning the lottery and she won twice. It does not mean you get a lottery like pay-out (particularly in VOs) . She's got enough drama to take to reality television, she can take her greed and personality there and sellout for $ to her heart's content.

Her motive was/is not for the fans or her love and devotion to/for the character, if it were this whole thing would have never would have blown up. What's slimy is that she KNEW what they payment terms were before she was went back to casting to audition. So she's had be stewing in this idea that she's going to pitch production lol with her asinine terms. It's like an arrogant novice coming off extremely elitist and making demands.

When they turned down her ridiculous “offer” she went full-karen and then took the things she claimed to be championing (Bayonetta and the fans) and weaponized them. She’s pure shi7.

Greed laced, clout hungry and negatively dramatic; those are not qualities found in Bayonetta. ;)

Good riddance!

[Dirtnapstor]

20k in a months time... that's nothing to balk at. I'd take it in a moments notice.
The only voice credit to her career is Bayonetta 1 & 2. Perhaps she should have shopped herself around more so, to earn that 'living wage'?

[gold_drake]

i mean, 20k is a more than fair living wage for that period of time lol.

[PlanetariumPictures]

the gaming industry is filled with WAY too many so called "Victims". this is the most whiny bunch of millennials the world has ever seen.

[Binarycode]

zzzzzZZZZZzzz

[rippermcrip]

She has now admitted that her original $4000 was a lie and also that the $15k offer was true.

How embarrassing .

[talocaca]

She already admitted that she was actually offered up to $15,000. That's quite a big leap from her original $4,000 claim. Time to move on. That lady is unhinged.

[FlameWater]

Everyone raise your hands if you've ever turned down $4000

[anast]

She was lying. Got pissed someone took her job.

[lnfiniteLoop]

$20K (£20K in current times) for not even 4 full days work... wow... nice little earner... alot of people (UK) only earn that in a year for a 40+ hr week