North West, the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, recently took center stage as Simba, performing “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” from Disney’s musical, “The Lion King.”
While her performance earned praise from many, it didn’t win over everyone. Some individuals took to social media platforms to express their disappointment with the 10-year-old’s portrayal.
Critics on platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) were particularly vocal, with some going so far as to harshly criticize her singing and dancing abilities
One particularly scathing comment led to a conversation on nepotism. The person posted, “Everyone is saying not to be too harsh on her & that’s fair but let’s be very real: there are plenty of talented & hard-working 10-year-olds who deserved this far more than North West, who even looks like she didn’t attend rehearsals. Nepotism is a mockery to hard-working people.”
Everyone is saying not to be too harsh on her & that’s fair but let’s be very real: there are plenty of talented & hard-working 10-year-olds who deserved this far more than North West, who even looks like she didn’t attend rehearsals. Nepotism is a mockery to hard-working people. https://t.co/0J5dPSh805
— Ama (@amackieee) May 27, 2024
Another user agreed with this sentiment. “It needs to be said: North West was not good in The Lion King. And her family/production did her no favors in letting her go on anyway….”
It needs to be said: North West was not good in The Lion King. And her family/production did her no favors in letting her go on anyway. Not all kids are good at all things and they need to be taught that. There were likely dozens of experienced kids that should have been cast.
— Rae The Writer (@WriteAsRae) May 26, 2024
Some others commented that the ten-year-old shouldn’t face the criticism, stating that her parents should know better. “There is no reason to hate on North West or give your opinion on whether you think she is talented or not. All the criticism should be solely directed at her parents.”
In contrast to the criticism, Jason Weaver, the voice actor in the original 1994 animation, praised North’s performance on Saturday. He stated via an Instagram post, “It was an honor to perform alongside West, a young superstar in the making.” He continued. “I’m so PROUD of you, North!! You’re doing such a PHENOMENAL job in this show! I can’t wait for people to see your performance of ‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King’ when ‘The Lion King 30th Anniversary Celebration’ eventually starts streaming on @disneyplus!!