The Bayonetta 3 drama has suddenly gotten very messy. Following allegations from Hellena Taylor that she was offered just $4,000 after negotiations to reprise her role a Bayonetta in the threequel, a report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier claimed that Taylor was instead offered at least five sessions that would each pay between $3,000-$4,000, but that Taylor asked for at least six figures and residuals. Schreier has seen internal evidence of this, but Taylor categorically denies it.
It’s important to stress that we do not know the truth, and we might never. What we have is two sides of the story, both with reason to put their thumb on the scale, and we have to decide what’s true. Lining up against Taylor is the fact Bayonetta is now played by Jennifer Hale, who would have cost significantly more than $4,000. However, in her favour is the amount of scorched Earth that surrounds her on this. By breaking her NDA and publicly calling for a boycott, Taylor may have ended her career in video games.
It’s difficult to know which side to believe - PlatinumGames has presented evidence to Schreier, but in order to protect his source this evidence has not been shared. Platinum has a vested interest in making Taylor look bad and in muddying the waters. Meanwhile, if Platinum’s evidence is correct, then Taylor has had her bluff called and has a vested interest in a slice of bitter revenge. Many online rushed to believe Taylor when the claims first emerged, and now many are rushing to believe Platinum, but we don’t have to just follow the newest piece of drama. It’s okay to take everything collectively, and it’s also okay if the final outcome is you deciding you’re not sure. However, it’s important to remember this issue is bigger than Taylor.
While $4,000 is a lowball, Platinum’s claim that it was actually $15,000-$20,000 is still very low when you consider that’s the price to return to voice one of gaming's most iconic characters for the third go. It’s more in line with industry rates, but overall voice actors should be getting more. Six figures seems extreme, especially from a starting berth of $20,000, and even more especially when you’re not campaigning for better salaries overall but instead want your own payday. Likewise residuals - this is unheard of in gaming, but it shouldn’t be. Although by the same token, it seems Taylor wanted cash for herself rather than better conditions across the board, at least if Platinum’s claims are accurate.
Actors should be getting paid more, and they should get residuals, but it needs to be from a concerted, collective effort from not only the unions, but also a groundswell of support from the players. Regardless of how truthful Taylor was, her dismissal of Hale as the “new girl” and the aggressive yet oddly religious tone of her video was not endearing. However you feel about her though, the point remains correct - actors should be paid more.
I wrote about this whole scandal when Taylor first called for a boycott, and I’m relieved to find I stand by my words even in light of this new report. In fact, even if it turns out Taylor lied completely, I stand by them, because it was never about Taylor. As I wrote at the time, Taylor did not appear to be particularly likeable, and her claims that the Bayonetta series made $450 million without even counting merchandise was nowhere near an accurate estimate. But the core point, that video game actors are significantly underpaid compared to their TV and film peers, remains. It doesn't matter what Taylor was offered or what she lied about, if anything. The point is voice actors in gaming need a lot more respect.
Some have been quick to point out the questionable opinions Taylor holds, too. Her Twitter activity suggests she supports Blue Lives Matter, transphobes and TERFs, and evangelical grifters. It’s a marked difference from current Bayonetta Jennifer Hale, who has uplifted LGBT+ causes and is generally supportive of social justice and equality for all. As a trans person (a trans person living in Taylor’s home nation of Britain, where the mainstream press is run by middle class transphobes no less), I’m here to tell you that I don’t care. It fundamentally does not matter. If you’re using this as an excuse to ditch the Bayonetta 3 boycott, then a) you were never going to do it in the first place, or b) you misunderstood the whole purpose.
The throughline of all of this is that voice actors are underpaid. That’s the bottom line, that’s the issue you should focus on. You shouldn’t stop caring because one voice actor in particular has questionable views, because damn do I have news for you about studio CEOs. Of course, you don’t need to boycott. You never did. This is a ‘he said she said’ where the ‘he’ is the famously unpleasant Hideki Kamiya and the ‘she’ might be a transphobic zealot. Checking out of this one is easy. But voice actors still need to be paid more.
As everyone rushes to take sides, and with most taking the side that lets them play their video games in peace, it feels like nothing will come of this. But if you care about games, whatever your opinion on Platinum, Taylor, or Bayonetta, you should care about the people who make them. Voice actors are a vastly underrated (and underpaid) part of that process.