About Bayonetta 3: pic.twitter.com/e4VrclEQImOctober 17, 2022
Many colleagues in the voice-acting community publicly supported Hale. PlatinumGames director Yusuke Miyata told Game Informer that “various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role.”
A subsequent investigation by Bloomberg found that Taylor had initially been offered compensation above the industry norm but declined, reportedly seeking a six-figure fee. She was later offered $4,000 for a single-session cameo, which she also turned down; Taylor later stated she had been offered $50,000 for the role.
By then the dispute had already taken its toll. Some people targeted Hale on social media and others vowed to boycott Bayonetta 3 over the casting choices. Still, Hale insists, “I’d love to play Bayonetta again.”
“There were some things said that were presented as facts, but were false,” Hale added. “I would have never taken a role otherwise. Before I accepted the audition, I checked everything thoroughly, and I trust the director. Thankfully, playing Bayonetta was so much fun, and the community was so welcoming to me, especially after the fiasco had passed and the facts came out. But it was not fun getting thrown under the bus like I had, but I was happy to come out on the other side.”
