Childish Gambino – Model Says She Was ‘Promised Residuals But Never Received Anything’ For Being Face Of Rapper’s “Awaken, My Love!” Album: ‘All Of My Lawyers Communications Have Been Ignored By The Artist & His Team’

Donald Glover, Giannina Antonette Oteto

Childish Gambino – Model Says She Was ‘Promised Residuals But Never Received Anything’ For Being Face Of Rapper’s “Awaken, My Love!” Album: ‘All Of My Lawyers Communications Have Been Ignored By The Artist & His Team’

Childish Gambino may have landed on Santa’s naughty list.

The rapper/actor, who also goes by his legal name Donald Glover, was recently called out by Kenyan model Giannina Antonette Oteto for “years of lies.” For those who may be unaware, Oteto’s face is featured as the cover artwork for Childish Gambino’s third studio album “Awaken, My Love!” The 2016 project debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 and its second single “Redbone” won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Unfortunately for Oteto, the success of “Awaken, My Love!” has been seemingly overshadowed by broken promises and emotional damage. According to the model, the popular cover art – which is by creative director Ibra Ake – came to be thanks to a team of talented Black women who were taken advantage of and lied to. Allegedly, on top of being underpaid, the women were promised residuals, but, to date, they have yet to receive any. In a post shared online revealing why it’s been hard to celebrate all that “Awaken, My Love!” has achieved over the years, Oteto claimed that the only person given residuals was Laura Wass, “a white woman who created the headpiece even though she was not on set.”

Oteto wrote,

“Being able to hold an album that I’m on the cover of. And having my bestie mom next to me to celebrate! My number 1 cheerleader! This album has been so hard for me to celebrate for many reasons, and for years I resented it even. It put me through a lot but finally being able to celebrate it means a lot!”

She later added to her post,

“I resented it because myself, the makeup artist, and stylist (all black women) were taking advantage of and lied to. We were received low pay but were promised residuals but never received anything. The only person who received residuals was a white woman who created the headpiece even though she was not on set to work on this(but she also deserves it).”

Oteto further elaborated and claimed that Childish Gambino and his team have been giving her the runaround, writing,

“After years of lies and silence then finding out statue of limitation complications… its been an exhausting, emotional, and overall sad thing to deal with. So it took so much from me especially the fact that we all worked on it with so much love and being proud to represent black artists. All of my lawyers communications have been ignored by the artist and his team.”

At the time of this report, Childish Gambino has not addressed Giannina Antonette Oteto’s claims.

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