Original Bayonetta voice actor Hellena Taylor broke her silence regarding Bayonetta 3 and reasons why she’s not returning to voice the iconic character. According to Hellena Taylor, she was offered $4,000 to voice Bayonetta in Bayonetta 3. Taylor believes the offer insults her prior work throughout the series.
“I was just asking for a decent dignified living wage, what they did was legal but it was immoral,” Taylor said. She noted that the Bayonetta franchise earned nearly $450 million to date without merchandise being accounted. Although the series earned millions, Taylor was offered a miniscule amount for long hours of voice work and stress.
The prolific voice actor wants fans to boycott Bayonetta 3 and donate money to charity. Additionally, she wants to stand up for other talent in the voice acting field that do not get paid properly. Taylor also reveals that she’s been suffering from mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. She notes that her message to fans may have breached a non-disclosure agreement:
“I am not afraid of the non-disclosure agreement, 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 is right, and doing this you stand with her. Thank you”.
In Taylor’s third message, she clarifies PlatinumGames’ role in the situation. She auditioned for Bayonetta 3 with rousing success and asked Hideki Kamiya how much her talent was worth. Following the interaction, Taylor was offered the $4,000 pay mentioned in her Twitter posts. She implies the original offer was even less than $4,000 to begin with. “Platinum had the cheek to say that I was busy, that they couldn’t make it work…well I had nothing but time,” Taylor added. Kamiya was prompted to respond, claiming Taylor is being untruthful about the situation.
Taylor’s Twitter thread is available below (Thanks, NintendoLife):
Friends, Worldlings, Bayonutters. Hear ye!#PlatinumGames #Nintendo #Bayonetta #Bayonetta3 #Bayonutters #Boycott #NintendoEurope #NintendoAmerica #NintendoJapan pic.twitter.com/h9lwiX2bBt
— Hellena Taylor (@hellenataylor) October 15, 2022
In response to Taylor, Kamiya claims what she says is untrue:
Sad and deplorable about the attitude of untruth. That's what all I can tell now.
By the way, BEWARE OF MY RULES.
— 神谷英樹 Hideki Kamiya (@PG_kamiya) October 15, 2022
