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CHANGE OF HEART: Actress Zendaya Coleman

DISNEY STAR Zendaya Coleman will no longer play Aaliyah in an upcoming film about the late singer’s life.

The Lifetime network announced Coleman as their leading lady for the biopic, Aaliyah: Princess of R&B just two weeks ago, but now the actress has pulled out of playing the star – who tragically died in a plane crash in 2001, aged 22.

Though their was speculation that the 17-year-old Disney actress buckled under the pressure from the singer's family, who were outraged about plans to make a film about the much-loved singer without their blessing, Coleman insists she pulled out of the project because “production-wise, [it] wasn’t all the way there.”

"It’s someone that I honour and I respect so much, it has to be 128 per cent, especially for all her fans, including myself,” Coleman said on her way into the BET Awards yesterday (June 29), where she was up for the Young Stars award.

She added: “I didn’t feel like it was all the way there, so I didn’t want to do that. And when the time comes when it’s done right and it’s 100 percent, by all means, I will be the first person there ready to go.”

The network tweeted: “We are sad Zendaya will no longer portray Aaliyah. Production is currently on hold.”