Original Bayonetta Voice Actress Urges Fans To Boycott Bayonetta 3 Due To Reported Low Wages

Original Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor urged fans to boycott Bayonetta 3 after she revealed how much she was offered to reprise her role as the eponymous character but ultimately turned down. She didn’t return to voice Bayonetta because she claims to have only been offered $4,000 for working on the entire game.

"The Bayonetta franchise made an approximated $450 million, and that’s not including merchandise," Taylor claimed in a video on Twitter. "As an actor, I trained for a total of seven and a half years. Three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, LAMDA, with voice coach Barbara Berkery, and four and a half years with the legendary Larry Moss in Los Angeles. And what did they think this was worth? What did they offer to pay me? The final offer to do the whole game as a buyout, flat rate, was $4,000 USD.

She went on to say that the rate she was offered was an insult to her and was only asking for a livable wage commensurate with her experience. Taylor then encouraged fans to take the money they would have spent on the game and donate it to charity.

In a second video, she continued, “I am not afraid of the non-disclosure agreement, I can’t even afford to run a car. What are they going to do, take my clothes? Good luck to them. Bayonetta always stands up for those with less power, and stands up for what’s right, and in doing this, you stand with her.”

In a third and final video, Taylor explained that she was asked to re-audition for the role, noting that this was understandable given that voices change over time. She passed her audition and PlatinumGames offered her a rate following the audition. However, Taylor said that it was “insulting.” She says that she had a friend who knew Japanese to write to executive director Hideki Kamiya so that she could ask to be paid for what her talent was worth.

“That is when they offered me $4,000 USD,” said Taylor. “And you know, Platinum had the cheek to say that I was busy, that they couldn’t make it work with Ms. Taylor’s schedule. Well, I had nothing but time,” referring to GameInformer’s recent interview with PlatinumGames.

Jennifer Hale is the new voice for Bayonetta in Bayonetta 3. While Taylor wishes her the best, she noted, “They now have a new girl voicing her over, and I love actors and I wish her all the joy in the world and all the jobs, but she has no right to say she is Bayonetta.”

In addition to boycotting Bayonetta 3, Taylor said that PlatinumGames and Nintendo might do a spin-off of Bayonetta with Jennifer Hale as well and encourages fans not to buy it if it happens.

While neither PlatinumGames nor Nintendo provided statements, executive director Hideki Kimaya responded to the claims on Twitter, saying, “Sad and deplorable about the attitude of untruth. That's what all I can tell now.”