EXCLUSIVEKelly Rowland Reacts To Donna Summer Biopic Rumors After Twitter Goes Wild: 'It Is Very Flattering!'
Dec. 23 2021, Published 7:35 a.m. ET
Earlier this week, Twitter went into a frenzy when an undiscovered photo of the late Donna Summer was uploaded to social media, which looked eerily like Kelly Rowland. Shortly after, fans took to the platform to declare that the Destiny's Child alum should play the singer, who died in 2012 at 63 years old after she lost her battle with lung cancer, in a film or biopic.
Now, the singer is responding to the hoopla and is intrigued with what the future holds.
"First of all, I love Donna Summer, I always have. I respect her, her daughters, her estate and her husband. I would love to be able to [play her]. We will see what happens, but I would love to be able to tell that story," the 40-year-old exclusively tells OK! while talking about her partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). "I know it’s a very rich story, and I think that Donna Summer is iconic. There's so many different bits of her story that you’re able to hear and to be able to hear it or see it in its entirety would be ... I literally have the chills in the back of my neck just thinking about it."
The mom-of-two would love for everyone, including the newer generation, to witness Summer recording "Love to Love You Baby" back in the day.
"Everyone should know everything about her and how iconic she is and keep her legacy alive. It’s important to me – especially when it comes to Black history to be able to do that," she declares. "I think that telling these stories keeps Black legacy alive."
When the photograph surfaced on Twitter, people were astonished at how much Rowland and Summer look alike.
One person wrote, "Can't tell me Kelly Rowland doesn't have Donna Summer's entire face and body! I Googled if they were related after seeing this."
"It is very flattering!" the "Love Takes Over" songstress says when asked about the comparison. "Look, I am going to have to call my agent later!"
However, Rowland has one caveat. "I respect her so much, so I would want to do it the right way because that is what she deserves," she states. "She gave us all of her, all of her voice, all of herself, she is just sacrificed herself for her music in such a beautiful way that I would want to be able to do the same to tell a story. We will see what happens!"
Though the brunette beauty grew up singing, she also enjoys acting as well. "I definitely think they feed me in different ways because with being in the studio, I am fed in a way where whatever it is I am feeling in my heart that I want to express, that is cathartic for me," she expresses. "And as far as making movies and executive producing, I get to step foot in someone else’s space in their life, in their time and I always wonder how they are going to lend themselves to me. I will always make sure that I am lending myself to them to tell whatever story that needs to come across. So, they both have their ways of expressing creativity but in such beautiful, creative ways, and I am so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to do both."
Ahead of the holiday season, Rowland — who shares sons Titan, 7, and Noah, 10 months, with husband Tim Weatherspoon — gushes over why her partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) means so much to her.
When Rowland was part of Destiny's Child, the group was able to "travel to all of these parts of the country of the world to different countries and be able to visit different Ronald McDonald Houses. We were able to meet the kids, we were able to meet the families, we were about to see the facilities, we were able to see the passion, the compassion, the love from the staff, the smiles on these kids' faces," she recalls.
"I think the base of the Ronald McDonald House is love and sharing and it’s family and that is why everyone feels so comfortable there," she adds. "I just want to encourage people to give to Ronald McDonald House Charities — you see exactly where the money goes. It’s the season of giving and of love and I ask everyone to be an example of that."
For more information on Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), click here: https://www.rmhc.org/.
