Drake edits out infamous 'Chair Girl' Marcella Zoia from 'War' music video after outrage over her inclusion
As Drake released a brand new track titled 'War', a full year after his last album 'Scorpion' came out, fans were more than just thrilled with the Canadian rapper dabbling in the underground UK rap genre. But the thrill and excitement over the new song was met with ample criticism for yet another controversy revolving the feature of 'Chair Girl' in the music video of the hit new single, calling for immediate editing out of the infamous Toronto girl from the clip.
Through the course of the music video, 'Chair Girl' aka Marcella Zoia can be seen in a teeny tiny one-second cameo; but that was enough for social media and even Drake's fans to protest the inclusion of the 19-year-old who had caused a widespread frenzy on Toronto earlier this year. Zoia was in a video that made rounds around February, where she was seen throwing a chair off the 45th floor of a Toronto high-rise. While her video gained a lot of attention online and gave her the moniker 'Chair Girl', it gave rise to major public outrage and finally, her pleading guilty to danger to life this November.
While struggling with her lawsuit, Zoia somehow was able to travel all the way to Blue Mountain, the popular skiing destination just two hours north of Toronto, where part of Drake's music video was filmed. Amidst the shady blue hues in the released video, Zoia can be seen as one of the many skimpily clad women dancing to the song, precisely at 2:38 minutes. But that was the original version of the video, as the newly edited one — which is live on YouTube — has cut her out.
Drake made the announcement official by sharing a message from the video' director Theo Skudra on Instagram. In his announcement, the post made references to “certain people we don’t condone,” and “no chairs.” A new version is now live, and the old video is gone from YouTube.
While it's still uncertain if Drake knew of Zoia or her stunts before she made way to appear on his music video or not, the Canadian Press did report him saying on Christmas Eve that he doesn't get to choose who appears as extras on his songs. As fans try to fathom how Zoia made way into the video, Toronto police inspector Chris Boddy expressed his distaste, tweeting: “Chair Girl? Really?" Another user tweeted how they have "lost all respect for Drake” because of the cameo.
As for Zoia, she is awaiting a court date on January 14, 2020, for sentencing. The Crown will demand a six-month sentence, but reportedly Zoia's lawyer is asking for a suspended sentence and probation with undetermined conditions.
