Fact Check

No, Cameron Diaz Wasn't Cast to Play Maya Angelou in a Biopic

Reports that Cameron Diaz was cast to play Maya Angelou in an upcoming biopic originated from a satire article.

Published March 3, 2016

Claim:
Cameron Diaz was cast to portray Maya Angelou in a new biographical film.

On 24 February 2016, the web site Stubhill News published an article claiming actress Cameron Diaz was selected to play poet Maya Angelou in a coming biopic:

Diaz promised to give the character a respectful interpretation by fusing Angelou’s personal history with the unique perspective of white culture ... Diaz said the film’s main ballad will be a country rock interpretation of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” which is adorably titled “The Caged Birdy’s Honky-Tonk Tweet.”

Diaz said that she spent hours closely observing her birds in preparation for the performance.

At press time, the Academy applauded the move towards diversity and preemptively nominated Diaz for her performance.

The site's tagline ("print omnibus apta est excrementum," or, loosely, "all the crap that's fit to print") and the tone of the article served as clues to its satirical nature. In one part, the item claimed Diaz was "preemptively" nominated for an Oscar for a yet-to-be-filmed performance. Stubhill News' "About" page was similarly tongue-in-cheek:

Stubhill News is independent journalism at its absolute finest.

According to scientists, we are the most accurate news source in at least one universe.

Content published by Stubhill News is rarely mistaken for straightforward reporting, but the site confused multiple readers in October 2015 after reporting that Michael J. Fox was arrested for sports betting (a reference to the plot of Back to the Future films).

Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes.

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