The promo photo used on social media during Drake and SZA’s announcement of their new collaboration, “Slime You Out,” apparently didn’t get approval from Halle Berry.
On Wednesday (Sept. 13), both artists took to their respective Instagram accounts to unveil an image for the then-forthcoming single. The record served as the lead track in the Toronto native’s impending album, For All the Dogs.
The picture portrayed Berry at a 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards. She was covered in slime from head to toe — a detail synchronized with the single’s thematic nuance. However, the dissemination drew immediate backlash as the 57-year-old expressed her dismay publicly. She emphasized that she didn’t sanction the use of the image.
She took to Instagram on Friday (Sept. 15) afternoon with a post that read, “Sometimes you have to be the bigger guy… even if you’re a woman!” In the comment section, one follower asked, “What are your thoughts [on] Drake using that picture of you for his single?”
She replied, “Didn’t get my permission. That’s not cool. I thought better of him!” In another post, Berry stated, “Hence my post today. When people you admire disappoint you, you have to be the bigger person and move on!”
Many speculated that Berry’s frustration with the picture being used came after the single came out instead of when it was initially posted due to the nature of the lyrics. In the track, Drake crooned, “Act like you not used to Sheraton stays. I met the n**ga you thought could replace. How were there even comparisons made? B**ch, next time, I swear on my grandmother grave. I’m slimin’ you for them kid choices you made.”
Despite the preliminary display of the photograph, the photo is available for licensing through Getty Images. However, the official release used a different artwork. Initially previewed as the official artwork for the musician’s upcoming album, it contained a hand-drawn white dog with red eyes set against a black backdrop created by the rapper’s 5-year-old son, Adonis.
As confirmed by Drake’s Instagram Story, For All the Dogs is now slated to drop on Oct. 6.