The Birth of a Nation can’t seem to survive its bad offscreen reputation. The Nat Turner biopic, written, directed by, and starring the beleaguered Nate Parker, was a flop in its opening weekend, pulling in about $7.1 million at the box office. The figure is a far cry from the record-breaking $17.5 million sum Fox Searchlight paid for the film at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Nation opened in about 2,100 theaters—an atypically wide release for such a small film, especially one that has been beset by such fierce behind-the-scenes controversy. Earlier this year, the media began taking a closer look at rape allegations made against Parker when he was in college. Parker was acquitted after a trial, but the scandal reared its head again when Variety reported that his accuser committed suicide in 2012.

Parker was immediately vocal about the tragic death, posting a lengthy message on Facebook and saying he was “devastated” by the news. He also later did a candid interview about the incident with Ebony, and continued to do publicity for the film. However, he later took a different, less contrite tone in high-profile interviews with 60 Minutes and Good Morning America, refusing to apologize for the whole ordeal and reiterating that he had been falsely accused.

The controversy could severely hamper the film’s chances at winning any awards this season, as well as its potential box office—though Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs previously told reporters that she would still support the film. However, a recent screening for Academy members had a thin turnout, perhaps indicating a growing disinterest in the biopic. Female Academy members also previously told The Hollywood Reporter that they would not see the film, and that they were unable to separate Parker’s rape trial with the film itself. Though Nation was once considered an Oscar front-runner, now it’s struggling just to keep up with the race.