Malia Obama, the oldest daughter of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama,
has been accused of stealing the work of a renowned independent filmmaker.
Malia, who is now a film director and goes by “Malia Ann” professionally, recently debuted a new commercial for Nike that allegedly contains elements from works that had already been published and copywrited.
As first reported by The Daily Wire, New York University graduate Natalie Jasmine Harris took to social media to voice her concerns of the alleged stealing of work, claiming that Malia’s new commercial for Nike contains elements from Harris’ 2024 short film, “Grace.”
She noted in her post that Malia, who uses the name Malia Ann professionally, was in attendance at Sundance during its premiere as she was showing her film there, “The Heart.”
“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…” Harris wrote in an X post last week.
She continued, “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
Harris posted a follow-up on Instagram the following day where she echoed what she had said in her original X update and sharing more stills from both projects and a photo of her and Obama from Sundance last year.
“I don’t have much else to say, besides that this is quite disheartening and disappointing,” she wrote in the post caption.
“I’m constantly posting about how difficult it is to be an emerging filmmaker right now and sustain myself without benefitting from family connections, generational wealth, or nepotism… and then to see this just really gives me even less hope that this industry wants me to be here.”
Harris also addressed those who had criticized her for making the comparisons in the first place.
“I just want to make it abundantly clear that this is not an issue about a game of Pat-A-Cake. It’s the framing, composition, editing, etc. Cinematic choices that are uncannily similar to the visual language in my short film. Before you are so quick to comment, please put your thinking caps on. Why would I say something that in turn probably does put my career at risk to try and say that I invented a hand game? Come on y’all….”
Malia Obama has not commented on the accusations at the time of publication.