*Over 20 years after starring in the classic cheerleader comedy “Bring It On,” actress Gabrielle Union is now speaking out about how the film’s trailer was cut to make it appear that the Black cast was prominently featured.
“Story time!,” said Union in a TikTok video showing footage from the official “Bring It On” teaser.
“So, we shot these snippets that you see here after the movie wrapped, because once test-audiences saw the movie they wanted more of the Clovers,” she explained
“We shot these [scenes] only for the trailer, not for the movie, to make people think we were in the movie more than we were. The end,” said Union. Check out the clip below.
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@gabunion Fun Facts ???? #bringiton #clovers #tiktokpartner ♬ original sound – Gab Union
In response to her TikTok reveal, one stunned commentator wrote “We were black-fished!”
“That’s so evil. Why couldn’t they have just given y’all more scenes,” another commenter added.
“We really got robbed [with] ‘Bring It On,’” said a third film fanatic, while another noted: “[We] need a ‘Bring It On’ tell-all docuseries immediately.
In an interview with Vogue about the film’s 20th anniversary, Union talked about the plot’s racial element involving her character’s predominantly black, inner-city cheerleading squad facing off against the suburban, predominantly white Toros team led by actress Kirsten Dunst’s Torrance character. Regarding that one scene where Union’s Isis rejects Torrance’s attempt to write the Clovers a check for ripping off their choreography, Union told Vogue about the importance of the Clovers’ not being portrayed as victims.
“I didn’t want to be saved and I didn’t want the Clovers to be indebted,” said Union. “I wouldn’t have been okay with being saved by anyone else. That’s me in real life and that’s me in Bring It On. I do not find the concept of “Great White Hope” or white-savior movies appealing or entertaining in the least. I don’t like them, I don’t watch them, and I certainly don’t want to be in them if I can at all help it, so that scene was necessary.”
RadioScope attended the June 2, 2000 press junket held several months before the film’s release, and asked Union – then a 27-year-old on the verge of her breakout role – about the amount of training that went into nailing all of those round offs and high kicks on screen. Peep what she had to say in the clip below.
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