The new movie adaption of The Color Purple Broadway musical hit theaters yesterday, and now that it’s out, fans on social media have been wondering whether star singer Ciara has a role in the film. The film stars singers like Fantasia Barrino, Halle Bailey, HER (credited under her real name, Gabriela Wilson), and Jon Batiste, and with Ciara showing up at the premiere in Los Angeles earlier this month (just before her fourth child was born), it’s only natural to wonder whether she’s also in the movie.
Of course, the answer could be considered a spoiler, so if you haven’t seen it and want to go in fresh, feel free to bookmark and come back later. For those who have seen the film or just want to know ahead of time, read on.
Ciara does appear in the film, but only for a few minutes at the end, when she plays the role of Nettie Johnson, recently returned from Africa to reunite with her sister Celie (played by Fantasia). Ciara’s character is the older version of Halle Bailey’s; when we last see Bailey in the role, she’s run off the farm owned by her sister’s new husband, promising to write her every week.
Unfortunately, for a multitude of reasons, she’s kept from seeing Celie until both are much older. Ciara participates in the finale number, “The Color Purple,” along with the rest of the ensemble.
The Color Purple is now playing in theaters nationwide.