Fantasia Being Unmarried & Pregnant May Get Her Fired from “Mahalia!”
As you know, 27-year-old Fantasia is unmarried and seven months pregnant by her boyfriend, Antwaun Cook, who also happens to be still married. Before becoming pregnant, Fantasia had landed a role in in the biographical film “Mahalia!” Apparently, when Fantasia realized that she was pregnant, producers of the film noticed and asked about the weight gain. She told them that she was putting on weight for the role, but in reality she was already four months pregnant.
Meanwhile, Adrian Taylor, the executive producer for the play, tells Page Six:
“The family thinks if Fantasia plays the role, it’s going to sully the name of Mahalia…They think she’s got the wrong image, having a child out of wedlock.”
In addition, her pregnancy has caused scheduling delays because she can’t film until after her due date, which is December 27th. Their goal is to finish the film by fall 2012, but Barrino’s camp wants her to start filming later (than January 2012) to allow time for breast-feeding and nurturing her child on set. The film’s budget has also increased by $4 million, due to scheduling adjustments.
Dino Gankendorff, who represents Mahalia Jackson’s estate, says that they have no objections to Fantasia’s role in the film. Gankendorff explained,
“I’m not really aware of any objections that the heirs have to the casting of Fantasia. I understand that they were getting ready to film and that she is pregnant, and I don’t know who is she pregnant by.”
No final word on whether or not she will be dropped, but a potential replacement is Missy Elliott.