[GameSpot] - Bayonetta Voice Actor Hellena Taylor Was Actually Offered $15,000 For Bayonetta 3, New Report Says

[343iBot]

New details have come to light regarding the Bayonetta 3 voice acting situation. For those just catching up, Hellena Taylor--who voiced Bayonetta in the first two games--is not coming back for the third title due to a reported pay dispute. In a series of videos uploaded to Twitter over the weekend, Taylor claimed she was offered $4,000 for Bayonetta 3, a figure she said was "insulting."

According to a report from Bloomberg, Taylor was offered between $3,000 and $4,000 for "at least" five sessions of voice recording, which would have made Taylor's total fee around $15,000 for Bayonetta 3.

Bloomberg said it saw documentation confirming these details. Separately, VGC corroborated the pay quotes and total compensation, going on to note that this would have amounted to a "significant increase" against what Taylor was paid for Bayonetta 2.

The Bloomberg report goes on to say that Taylor also requested a six-figure fee ($100,000+) for Bayonetta 3 along with residuals on the game. Taylor denied these claims to Bloomberg and VGC.

She told VGC that any suggestion that she was offered more than $4,000 is "categorically untrue," adding that a claim that she could have made $15,000 on Bayonetta 3 as a base rate was "an absolute lie, and a complete joke."

"I'd quite like to put this in the [rearview] mirror and leave the whole bloody franchise behind," Taylor told VGC. "So I think I'll just let my videos stand. I spoke the truth."

Taylor has urged people to boycott the game and donate the money they would have spent on the game to charity. She also implied that she is breaking her non-disclosure agreement by talking about her contract, but she said she isn't bothered by this. "I can't even afford to run a car. What are they going to do, take my clothes? Good luck to them. Bayonetta always stands up for those with less power, and stands up for what's right, and in doing this, you stand with her," Taylor said.

She said she experienced anxiety and had suicidal thoughts. VGC said people familiar with Platinum's discussions with Taylor "indicated" that they knew Taylor "had suffered depressive episodes in the past."

With Taylor not involved in Bayonetta 3, veteran voice actor Jennifer Hale--perhaps best known for portraying Commander Shepard in Mass Effect--was hired to voice the character. Taylor said she wishes Hale nothing but the best with Bayonetta 3, but said, "She has no right to say she is Bayonetta."

Hale herself responded to Taylor's claims, saying, "Anyone who knows me, or has followed my career, will know that I have great respect for my peers, and that I am an advocate for all members of the community."

Taylor ended her address by quoting from Jesus Christ, whom she described as "the greatest moral teacher that ever lived." Directing her message to Platinum boss Hideki Kamiya, the presidents of Nintendo, and "all other fat cats around the world," Taylor quoted the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, which warns against the evils of wealth.

Bayonetta 3 launches on October 28 as an exclusive for Nintendo Switch.

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