‘Black Mirror’ Execs Slam Halsey For Comparing Herself to Ashley O
Earlier this week, Halsey made a pretty convincing argument that Black Mirror's "Ashley O" character might be based off her. "Black Mirror episode about a popstar [sic] named Ashley with colorful hair. Existential crisis: Engage," she wrote on Twitter (the "Nightmare" singer's real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane). But apparently the show's executives didn't have the 24-year-old in mind at all when they were writing the character.
As TMZ reports, production executives started an email chain to discuss Halsey's comparisons. There were messages that said co-creator and writer Charlie Brooker was "only vaguely aware" of Halsey. That same exec went on to say, "If we get asked about it in an interview we'll cheerily confirm that."
Another exec went so far as to accuse the pop star of using the comparison as a way to promote herself. "I think most people can see it's a shameful desperate attempt at self-promotion," they allegedly wrote in an email.
Miley Cyrus stars in the episode, and that wasn't an accident. Sources close to the show have said that Ashley O was meant to be a metaphor for the careers of young pop stars like Miley, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston.