Veteran actor Clifton Powell has reignited his longstanding criticism of acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee, standing firm on previous comments while emphasizing that his concerns center on business practices rather than personal animosity.
The 69-year-old performer recently addressed the contentious topic during an interview with “The Art of Dialogue,” years after he first publicly criticized Lee’s treatment of Black actors in the entertainment industry.
Powell has consistently maintained that his issues with the Oscar-winning director stem from what he perceives as problematic business dealings, particularly regarding compensation and professional treatment of performers.
Despite never having worked directly with Lee himself, Powell says he has witnessed the impact on colleagues who have collaborated with the filmmaker.
“I am not going to comment about Spike Lee. I said what I said, and I stand by what I said. Go read about it. And a lot of y’all don’t have the facts,” Powell declared during the recent ‘Art of Dialogue” sit-down.
He urged listeners to conduct their own research before forming opinions, adding, “If you go research and ask some actors [about] the kind of business that he did, you’ll be able to make a determination for yourself.”
The “Friday After Next” actor stressed that while he respects Lee’s artistic contributions, particularly his collaborations with Denzel Washington, the problem lies in “some of his business practices.”
Powell also defended himself against accusations of bitterness, stating, “People talk a lot of stuff and don’t do their research. I do my research, and I’m never going to accept a Black man doing to us what the man has been doing for the last 70,000 years.”
He referenced fellow actor Charles Dutton as someone who has publicly supported his position.
“Listen to what Charles Dutton said. He said Clifton Pow wasn’t wrong. He knows,” the “Menace 2 Society” actor said before addressing some pushback he has received over his previous comments.
He said, “I was just playing around. I was in the studio. I was playing around making a joke and then it went viral. But I don’t respect his business policies… I should have called him and told him that or I should have saw him out and pulled him aside. So, I learned something from that.”
The interview sparked considerable discussion on Art of Dialogue’s Instagram, with reactions ranging from support to skepticism.
One commenter wrote, “Crazy, I always heard this about spike,” while another added, “Everybody heard stuff about Spike over the years.”
However, not all responses were supportive of Powell’s stance.
“If you have never worked with him, why are you talking about him?” questioned one user.
Another agreed, stating, “I’ll NEVER speak on someone’s business practices, if I’ve NEVER worked with them, personally. Each man can speak for himself.”
Some pointed out inconsistencies in Powell’s approach, with one person noting, “Said he wasn’t gonna speak on it…then he spoke on it.”
Powell’s criticism of Lee dates back to at least 2021, when he appeared on “Pierre’s Panic Room” podcast and detailed his grievances, including stating he wanted to fight the Morehouse graduate.
During that interview, he explained that his concerns originated from Lee’s public criticism of Tyler Perry’s work, particularly the filmmaker’s comments about Perry’s popular Madea character. Lee had previously described certain contemporary Black entertainment as problematic, specifically referencing Perry’s television shows during a discussion about representation in media.
“This is a complex subject. Each artist should be allowed to pursue their artistic endeavors but I still think there is a lot of stuff out today that is ‘coonery’ and buffoonery. I know it’s making a lot of money and breaking records, but we can do better,” he said.
Powell continued, “I am a huge basketball fan, and when I watch the games on TNT, I see these two ads for these two shows (Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns” and “House of Payne”) and I am scratching my head. … We got a black president and we going back to Mantan Moreland and Sleep ‘n’ Eat?”
The tension between Lee and Perry eventually subsided, with Lee later acknowledging Perry’s contributions to the industry and even attending the opening ceremony of Tyler Perry Studios in 2019.
Powell, who has worked with Perry on multiple projects, including “Madea’s Family Reunion” in 2006 and “Why Did I Get Married?” in 2007, was particularly supportive of Perry during the public disagreement.
In his recent interview, Powell acknowledged again that he could have handled the situation differently, admitting he was “just playing around” when his initial comments about Lee went viral.
He also expressed willingness to have a private conversation with Lee, saying, “If Spike ever wanted to sit down and have dinner with me, I’d tell him exactly how I feel. And maybe as a Pisces like I am, he might take it in and try to do better.”
