Gabrielle Union says ‘Bring It On’ shot “fake scenes” to give the “illusion” the East Compton Clovers had equal screen time
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Alexa, play Lola Brooke “Don’t Play With It.”
In an interview shared by Idea Generation earlier this week, Gabrielle Union disclosed a little known fact about her 2000 blockbuster hit film Bring It On. The veteran actress claimed directors actually shot a bunch of fake scenes to give audiences the illusion that the Black cheerleading squad had screen time equal to their white counterparts.
During their chat, the show’s host, Noah Callahan-Bever, asked Union if anyone involved in the project predicted the movie would have reached “cult status” to where over two decades later, fans still dress up as the East Compton Clovers every Halloween. The 50-year-old admitted they were shocked by the success because “Bring It On was a movie we all did because we didn’t get other movies.”
But the surprises didn’t end there. “But what was interesting is, the Clovers were only in like a third of the movie. And when they started showing it to test audiences, the Clovers tested through the roof,” she recalled. In the flick, Union played Isis, the cheer captain of an insanely talented yet underfunded squad from Compton. The ladies of the pop/R&B girl group Blaque were casted as three of her teammates. The film’s plot sees the Southern California team continuously looked over as a member of the Rancho Carne Toros’ well-off squad repeatedly stole their competitor’s routines.
Union said the filmmakers never intended to add more shots of the Clovers, so they created “fake scenes that will only be in the trailer to create the illusion that it was like a 50-50 movie.” A quick online search will show how absurd their theory was. “Name a time when people spontaneously cheered during a film in a movie theater while you were in the audience,” a 2021 tweet asked. “When the East Compton Clovers won [first] place in Bring [It] On,” a user responded. That year, another account wrote, “Thinking about how the East Compton Clovers still came in first place at the end of Bring It On. What a cinematic masterpiece.” Union ended the segment noting that the movie represented “bad a**, young Black girls who refused to take s**t and never back down.”
See others giving Bring It On’s East Compton Clovers their flowers throughout the years below!
THE EAST COMPTON CLOVERS! 💚🧡 pic.twitter.com/s7bJFbzmor
— Adaeze. (@shesbomb) October 28, 2018
East Compton Clovers ☘️ pic.twitter.com/gsEPTFAKCE
— upe♠️ (@uasiata) November 1, 2020
Coco Jones dresses up as Gabrielle Union in ‘Bring It On’ for Halloween. pic.twitter.com/4xzzTkeVOP
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 30, 2022
When the East Compton Clovers won 1st place in Bring in On. https://t.co/K5lFzMyDsy pic.twitter.com/ZEqSESEeN3
— jzl thee doll (@jxzzhndz_) September 19, 2021
Thinking about how the East Compton Clovers still came in first place at the end of Bring It On. What a cinematic masterpiece. pic.twitter.com/ld8zZfY6Yb
— herald of alien superstar (@Steph_I_Will) February 7, 2021
It’s a family affair! Cousins @itsgabrielleu and @Saweetie dress as the iconic East Compton Clovers! And we can’t forget actual ball of cute Kaavia James who as you can see BROUGHT IT as well! pic.twitter.com/xxvnDmC4Fn
— Textured Heir (@texturedheir) October 30, 2019
the newest East Compton Clovers ☘️🧡💚 Thanks for being so iconic @itsgabrielleu pic.twitter.com/OjbrrcExlO
— YT: Markeshia Nicole TV (@_markeshiaaa) November 1, 2020
Happy 20th anniversary of the East Compton Clovers winning Nationals pic.twitter.com/Awm0P1QLYF
— Twitter Movies (@TwitterMovies) August 25, 2020
I said BRR it’s cold in here ❄️
EAST COMPTON CLOVERS 🍀 pic.twitter.com/fDdFnaNQ4T
— 𝖘𝖚𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖆𝖎 ♡ (@NINETYSlX) December 17, 2020
✨🍀🌈 HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY FROM YOUR FAVE EAST COMPTON CLOVERS 🌈🍀✨ #DOYOTHANGISIS #youvebeentouchedbyanANGELgirl pic.twitter.com/LXhmQFeTGX
— gen.gossip girl (@vivalastina) March 18, 2018
So THE GAG IS.. I made these costumes MYSELF!! 🤗☘️🧡 certified East Compton Clovers #halloween2019 🎃 pic.twitter.com/Jhr8fl5qJw
— BIG LAINA💕 (@alainasimonee) October 31, 2019
Happy 20 years to the East Compton Clovers 🍀 pic.twitter.com/DTdJm1QY9x
— Black Girl Film Club (@blkgirlfilmclub) August 22, 2020
East Compton Clovers 🍀🗣🗣🗣
Oh , cause I thought a team who wasn’t national champions and stole our routines said something … 🧎🏾♀️ pic.twitter.com/TEFwC2NmJj
— Spooky 𝕊𝕚 ℂ𝕖𝕖 (@XoCrystal97) June 7, 2020
Two east compton clovers, edward cullen, a cholo, and britney spears walk into a bar…. pic.twitter.com/rWIWCCxFjz
— fatty mcgoo (@chaynnarose) November 1, 2018
Bring It On (2000)
— it’s a battle of the cheerleading squads when the Toros of Ranco Carne High School compete against a rival squad from East Compton, The Clovers. pic.twitter.com/hUnEMvDNER
— khalia. | queen charlotte era 📜🌿 (@VERONASFILMS) August 12, 2018
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