Legendary recording artist Marvin Gaye is going to be recognized by many over the next year. Some familiar with him and others not, Gaye's life story and music will be recounted in at least two forms — on stage and in theaters. While there is excitement surrounding both forms, especially the biopic that will feature Jesse L. Martin portraying Gaye, the "Sexual Healing" singer's ex-wife is not enthused.
"I don’t think Marvin is a very happy spirit right now. This is the last thing he would have wanted," his ex-wife, Janis, who was married to him from 1977-1981, shared with NY Daily News over the weekend.
According to Janis, the film and stage play ("My Brother Marvin"), the latter featuring Lynn Whitfield, Clifton Powell; R&B sensation Keith Washington; Tony Grant, and R&B Group Az Yet, does not depict the man she knew in a positive light.
"I haven’t read the script, but it’s supposed to be based on (Zeola Gaye’s) book and I did read the book from cover to cover, and it was very difficult to read," said Janis. "Some of the characterizations, like saying Marvin’s father killing him was a ‘mercy killing,’ you can only imagine how that makes the kids feel. It makes me feel bad enough."
That being said, Janis believes that Lenny Kravitz walked away from his role as Marvin Gaye, in the biopic, because of his conscience. She's hoping that Jesse L. Martin will do the same.
"Ultimately, I think it was Lenny’s heart and soul and conscience that caused him to step away," she told NY Daily News.
"My Brother Marvin," the stage play is scheduled for showings in Cleveland and Atlanta in the coming weeks.
Marvin Gaye’s ex-wife, Anna Gordy Gaye, is not happy about the recent stage play based on her late husband’s life. In an exclusive interview, she opens up about how deeply hurt and disappointed she was to find out that Lenny Kravitz had been cast as Marvin in an upcoming biopic movie. Read on for all the details of what Mrs. Gaye has to say about this sensitive topic.
Mrs. Gaye has every right to be upset with the way things have unfolded recently concerning her former husband’s legacy — particularly when it comes to the portrayal of him on stage and screen. She felt blindsided by news that actor Lenny Kravitz had been chosen to portray Marvin in a new movie without anyone consulting or even informing her first.
In order to get a better understanding of why Mrs. Gaye is so outraged over these decisions being made without her input, we decided to sit down with her for an exclusive chat where she expressed herself freely and openly regarding her concerns with both the play and movie projects honoring her late husband’s memory.
Anna Gordy Gaye’s Reaction To The Stage Play
Anna Gordy Gaye, ex-wife of the late singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye, has recently released a statement about her disapproval of a new stage play based on her former husband’s life. In her response, she speaks out against the production for being “untrue to Marvin’s story” and takes issue with its lack of accuracy when it comes to details from his life.
Gordy also expresses concerns over how other people associated with him are portrayed in the play. She is particularly displeased by the way Lenny Kravitz’s character is depicted, claiming that it does not accurately reflect their relationship or friendship. Additionally, Anna criticizes the fact that no one from either side was consulted before the show went into production; thus she believes that certain liberties have been taken with events and characters in order to create more drama than actually existed in reality.
In light of these issues, Gordy feels strongly that this type of recreation should not be allowed without proper research and input from those who were close to him. Furthermore, she hopes that any future biopic movie will stay true to his legacy rather than taking creative license with facts as this play has done.
Anna Gordy Gaye’s Thoughts On Lenny Kravitz And A Biopic Movie
In regards to Lenny Kravitz’s portrayal in the stage play, Anna Gordy Gaye was quick to express her disapproval. She stated that it does not reflect their relationship or friendship accurately and is a misrepresentation of his character. This sentiment extends to any other people associated with Marvin who are portrayed incorrectly in the production. It seems as though no one from either side was consulted before its release; thus she believes certain liberties were taken with events and characters for dramatic effect rather than staying true to reality.
Anna made clear that if there ever is a biopic movie about her former husband’s life, proper research should be done beforehand and input must come from those who knew him best. She insists that any future project stay accurate to his legacy instead of taking creative license simply for entertainment value.
Therefore, Anna Gordy Gaye has made it evident that she strongly opposes this current stage play based on her ex-husband’s life due to its lack of accuracy when depicting things such as relationships between characters and specific details from his own personal story.
Conclusion
I, Anna Gordy Gaye, cannot help but feel a mix of anger and sadness when I think about the stage play that has been created based on my marriage to Marvin. While it is true that we had our issues during our time together, there was also so much love between us. It saddens me to see people telling stories about our relationship without understanding the fullness of it.
As for Lenny Kravitz playing Marvin in a biopic movie, I don’t think he could do justice to how dynamic and influential my former husband truly was. However, if someone can bring his spirit back to life with an honest portrayal, then I have no objections- as long as they show all aspects of who he really was.
In closing, while nothing can take away what happened between us or replace the man himself, I hope that whatever comes out of this will be done with respect to both him and myself. If not, then at least the world gets to remember just how amazing Marvin Gaye’s music was and always will be.
