Ariana DeBose shares a mysterious quote after the 2023 BAFTA Awards

Awards

by Francesca Bacardi

February 21, 2023 | 11:21 a.m

Ariana DeBose has become a mystery after coming under fire for her now-viral rap at the 2023 BAFTA Awards.

Despite deleting her Twitter account after Sunday’s disastrous performance, the “West Side Story” star took to her Instagram Story on Monday to share a quote in an apparent attempt to send a message to her critics.

“baby girl [sic]In a world full of choices, choose yourself,” read the message that was originally Shared by @BossBabeCorner account.

The post is the only public statement DeBose, 32, has made since her breakout performance, during which she covered Eurythmics’ “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” and Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family.”

At one point, the Oscar-winning actress inserted her own rap in which she name-dropped the female nominees on the UK awards show.

“Angela Bassett did the thing. Viola Davis, ‘The King’s Woman’.” Cate Blanchett, you’re a genius. Jamie Lee [Curtis]y’all,” she raps as the camera pans to each actress.

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Liked rap music equally He got instant attention on social mediaas fans flocked to comment on the absurd nature of Bassett’s famously reducing, 64, to someone who simply “did the thing.”

“Ariana DeBose turned down a proposal at the Coronation of King Charles III,” one Twitter user joked.

Another wrote on Twitter: “This whole performance hurts even more when you remember that Ariana DeBose has more Oscars than Angela Bassett.”

“Ariana DeBose’s rap at BAFTA is both awful and amazing. Like, I can’t stop watching it,” a third model wrote.

However, BAFTAs showrunner Nick Bullen criticized people who made fun of the performance.

“The songs she was singing are very familiar songs, the room was clapping, and people were kind of dancing to the music,” Variety said. “The rap section in the middle, which mentions the women in the room, was because it was such an amazing year for women in cinema, and we wanted to celebrate that.”