“This needs to change”: Giannina Antonette Oteto gets internet’s support after claiming she did not get paid for Childish Gambino's album cover

Childish Gambino, the American actor and comedian, was accused of allegedly lowballing, avoiding, and not paying a model named Giannina Antonette Oteto for appearing in the Awaken, My Love! album cover back in 2016.

Oteto went on Facebook on December 27, to tell her followers that she was not alone in the fight, saying:

"I resented it because myself, the makeup artist, and stylist (all black women) were [taken] advantage of and lied to. We received low pay. [They] promised residuals. But [we] never received anything."

According to Uproxx, the now-deleted post also mentioned that reportedly only a white woman received her residuals. Netizens have shown their support for the model and other people of color who have faced injustice in the show business industry.

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Gambino accused of not paying Giannina Antonette Oteto and others on album cover's team

Donald McKinley Glover Jr., known professionally in music as Childish Gambino, has an R&B-inspired style that won him a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2017 for the single, Redbone. He is regarded as one of the most innovative performers of the decade.

However, Childish Gambino has recently made news not for his work as an actor, comedian, or rapper but as someone who allegedly did not pay people for his Awaken, My Love! album cover.

As per Hot New Hip Hop, Giannina Antonette Oteto went on to say in a now-deleted post that she, the makeup artist, and stylist of Gambino's team was not paid the residuals they had been promised. She began by saying,

"Being able to hold an album that I'm on the cover of. And having my bestie mom next to me to celebrate! My number 1 cheerleader! This album has been so hard for me to celebrate for many reasons, and for years I resented it even. It put me through a lot but finally being able to celebrate it means a lot!"

According to Billboard, Creative Director Ibra Ake took the picture of Oteto wearing a beaded headdress by WXYZ Jewelry designer Laura Wass.

Wass was also mentioned in the model's revelation as the only one who got paid for her work. Oteto wrote:

"The only person who received residuals was a white woman who created the headpiece even though she was not on set to work on this (but she also deserves it). After years of lies and silence then finding out the statute of limitation complications... it's been an exhausting, emotional, and overall sad thing to deal with."

Netizens have given their opinions about the Childish Gambino issue, standing with Giannina and other black artists who get mistreated in the industry. Some of the reactions are given below.

Giannina Antonette Oteto went on to explain how Childish Gambino and his team would allegedly avoid the people they did not pay during the release of the album.

The model explained why she had been silent for so long but added that the experience was overall bittersweet for her. She said:

"So it took so much from me especially the fact that we all worked on it with so much love and being proud to represent black artists. All of my lawyers' communications have been ignored by [Childish Gambino] and his team. #bittersweet."

Giannina Antonette Oteto was regardless proud of herself to be on the cover and reposted various drawings she received since "Awaken, My Love!"'s release. Childish Gambino has not yet commented on the accusations made by the model.