Fantasia Barrino denies pregnancy delayed film production

Fantasia Barrino has hit back at reports suggesting she derailed production on the upcoming biopic of gospel great Mahalia Jackson by hiding her pregnancy from filmmakers.

The former American Idol star was set to begin shooting the movie, titled Mahalia!, this year (11), but the start date has been postponed to January (12) following the news Barrino is expecting her second child.

It was alleged that Barrino had kept her baby news secret from producers until recently - but she insists that wasn't the case and blames financial problems for holding up the movie.

In a chat with TV presenter Wendy Williams, she says, "There were no contracts signed, and there was no set date and time (when I agreed to the role). I began to gain the weight (to portray Jackson), I began to study her. And then they called us back in January and said the investors had backed out. So they were waiting on investors.

"I wanted to make the family proud, and most of all, I wanted to make Mahalia Jackson proud - and my fans and everyone who's been following me."

Barrino, who has not yet named the father of her child, is due to give birth on 29 December (11). She is already a mother to nine-year-old daughter Zion.