Malia Obama now has a excessive profile job as a director, and after getting her begin engaged on reveals comparable to “The Swarm,” she directed a brief movie and a business for Nike. The business, which dropped on Might 4, promoted WNBA star A’Ja Wilson’s Nike A’One footwear. A day after the advert was launched, controversy arose as one other younger director claimed Obama might have taken concepts from her brief movie and repurposed them for the sneaker advert.

Commercial

Director Natalie Jasmine Harris’ brief movie, “Grace,” performed on the 2024 Sundance Movie Pageant, the identical 12 months Obama’s brief, “The Coronary heart,” performed on the similar fest. “The social minimize of the brand new @Nike business directed by Malia Obama … feels shockingly much like my work,” Harris wrote on X on Might 5. “If manufacturers desire a sure look, why not rent from the supply as an alternative of for title recognition?” she added. Later that month, Harris wrote concerning the similarities between her challenge and the Nike advert in an essay for Enterprise Insider. Harris talked about that she had met Obama at Sundance for a director’s brunch and mentioned how the business mirrored her brief movie “from the digital camera angles to the pictures to the framing composition and the colour palette.”

Commercial

I am simply going to depart this right here.

That is my indie brief movie, “Grace,” subsequent to Malia Obama’s @Nike x @_ajawilson22 business

It is devastating, however not less than you may (hopefully) see that that is about way more than simply pat-a-cake…. pic.twitter.com/71m0H5n84z

— Natalie Jasmine Harris (@nataliejharris) Might 12, 2025

To additional again up her declare, Harris tweeted out a side-by-side video on Might 12 evaluating parts of the Obama-directed Nike advert to her brief movie (above), the primary focus being a scene the place younger Black women are taking part in patty cake on a porch. Folks popped up within the replies to bash Obama’s obvious plagiarism. “[T]his body for body copying,” one person wrote. “[Be] indignant with the individuals who employed the thief,” one other added. Alleged thievery was not the one cause folks have been upset with Obama.

Many individuals took challenge with Malia Obama being connected to the Nike business earlier than Natalie Jasmine Harris even aired her claims that the daughter of Barack Obama lifted from her brief movie. When it was first introduced that Malia directed the sneaker advert, cries of “nepo child” rang out, and people solely elevated after Harris highlighted the similarities between her work and the business. “[N]epobabies wildin,” an X person replied to Harris’ tweet. “I am unable to assist however suppose that if it wasn’t an Obama, [people] could be a bit extra upset,” one other wrote. Nonetheless, lengthy earlier than engaged on the Nike spot, Malia dropped the “Obama” from her title, opting to go by Malia Ann for her profession within the movie business.

Commercial

The primary time folks seen Malia was utilizing a distinct title for her movie profession was when her brief movie, “The Coronary heart,” was accepted into the Sundance Movie Pageant. Previous to the movie’s debut, Sundance launched a collection of YouTube movies that includes up-and-coming administrators known as “Meet the Artist” in January 2024 and the previous first daughter was the topic of 1, credited below the title Malia Ann. Viewers had dissenting views on the title change. “I seen she’s additionally going by her center title. It is superb to see folks create their very own lane,” a YouTube viewer famous. “Lastly, an underground artist in sundance,” one other snarked.

Debate sparked on-line concerning whether or not it was duplicitous for Malia to vary her final title as a way to downplay her standing as an Obama. Even Whoopi Goldberg weighed-in on an episode of “The View” the place she got here to Malia’s protection. “Go away this youngster alone … Why do you care what she calls herself,” Goldberg stated concerning the title change.

Commercial