Malia Obama, the daughter of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, has been accused of ripping off an independent filmmaker’s work in a recent Nike commercial she directed.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, a 27-year-old filmmaker, recently claimed that Obama, 26, plagiarized a scene from her short film Grace in the ad, which features WNBA star A’ja Wilson.
The Nike commercial, titled Teaching the Pro, shows a young girl demonstrating an intricate version of the childhood game “pat-a-cake” to Wilson, who initially struggles to keep up. This is the scene which Harris believes bears striking similarity to a scene in her own film.
Indie Filmmaker Thinks Malia Obama’s Nike Commercial Is ‘Shockingly Similar’ To Her Short Film ‘Grace’
Harris raised the issue on X on May 6th, and shared some side-by-side comparisons of her short film and the Nike commercial. She wrote: “Been sitting with this for a while. My Sundance short film GRACE (shot brilliantly by Tehillah de Castro) was made with deep love and care. The social cut of the new @Nike commercial directed by Malia Obama (who was also at Sundance my year) feels shockingly similar to my work.”
In a separate comment, Harris added: “I know art often overlaps, but moments like this hit hard when you’ve poured your heart into telling stories with care and barely get the recognition you deserve. If brands want a certain look, why not hire from the source instead of for name recognition?”
Been sitting with this for a while. My Sundance short film GRACE (shot brilliantly by Tehillah de Castro) was made with deep love and care. The social cut of the new @Nike commercial directed by Malia Obama (who was also at Sundance my year) feels shockingly similar to my work… pic.twitter.com/iy2N2krpQN
— Natalie Jasmine Harris (@nataliejharris) May 6, 2025
Natalie Jasmine Harris Says She Was ‘Disappointed And Hurt’ By The Similarities
According to Business Insider, Harris claims that Obama plagiarized the “cinematic tools” used to shoot the childhood game in her commercial, and pointed out the similarities between everything from the camera angles to the color palette.
Harris told Business Insider: “Initially, I was disappointed and hurt – not just for myself but for my entire team.” She also asked: “If they wanted these shots that were similar to my shots, why not hire me to direct?”
Harris said she was initially hesitant to say something regarding the similarities, fearing backlash due to who Malia’s parents are and how big the Nike brand is. However, she ultimately felt she owed it to herself and her industry to speak out, saying: “I’ve poured too much into my work to just sit by and watch.”
