Timothée Chalamet sparked outrage in the ballet and opera world with his comment
16 march 2026 в 19:28
Timothée Chalamet has sparked outrage in the ballet and opera communities with his careless comment. The backlash was so intense that his chances of winning an Oscar plummeted just days before the 2026 ceremony, where he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in «Martin Suprim». The award ultimately went to Michael B. Jordan. Some people are still grappling with the controversy, so what exactly did Timothée say?
Here’s what he actually said that triggered such widespread criticism.
Timothée met with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey at a CNN and Variety event in late February 2026, where they discussed the state of the film industry and his motivations within it.
«And another part of me feels that if people are interested, like with 'Barbie' or 'Oppenheimer,' they will go and talk about it loudly», - began the star of «Completely Unknown». «And I don’t want to work in ballet or opera, where they say, 'Hey, support this art form even if no one is interested anymore.'»
Immediately after that, Timothée added, «All my respect to the people in ballet and opera. I just lost 14 cents in the audience… Damn, I just said something stupid for no reason».
The entire ballet and opera communities took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Timothée's comment. Among the most notable reactions was a video from the Metropolitan Opera, showcasing the behind-the-scenes process of creating stage productions. The clip was captioned: «This is for you, @tchalamet».
Many celebrities also joined in criticizing the «Wonka» star, including Doja Cat. She posted a video on TikTok, which was later deleted, to share her reaction.
«Opera has existed for 400 years. Ballet—500 years», - Doja said. «Some guy named Timothée Chalamet, by the way, a big guy, dared to say on camera that no one is interested in it. I’m sure you could walk into an opera house right now, and the seats would be filled, and no one would say a word during the performance because everyone has such respect for it. There’s etiquette in opera. There’s etiquette in ballet. It’s amazing. It’s an incredible theatrical form. It’s freaking beautiful».
The women from «The View» also weighed in on the matter, with co-host Whoopi Goldberg noting that Timothée has relatives connected to dance.
«You come from a dance family, so when you criticize someone else’s art form, it’s not pleasant», - Whoopi said. «You probably didn’t realize that until you said, 'Oh, I’m in trouble,' but then you made it worse by saying, '14 cents.' No, when people are angry, it’s going to be much more than 14 cents, so be careful. I’m just saying. Be careful, dude… To me, he’s still a dude. Actually, don’t apologize when you’ve offended. That sounds wrong. You can’t say, 'Oh, that’s stupid, no offense.' That’s absolute disrespect»
Here’s what he actually said that triggered such widespread criticism.
Timothée met with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey at a CNN and Variety event in late February 2026, where they discussed the state of the film industry and his motivations within it.
«And another part of me feels that if people are interested, like with 'Barbie' or 'Oppenheimer,' they will go and talk about it loudly», - began the star of «Completely Unknown». «And I don’t want to work in ballet or opera, where they say, 'Hey, support this art form even if no one is interested anymore.'»
Immediately after that, Timothée added, «All my respect to the people in ballet and opera. I just lost 14 cents in the audience… Damn, I just said something stupid for no reason».
The entire ballet and opera communities took to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Timothée's comment. Among the most notable reactions was a video from the Metropolitan Opera, showcasing the behind-the-scenes process of creating stage productions. The clip was captioned: «This is for you, @tchalamet».
Many celebrities also joined in criticizing the «Wonka» star, including Doja Cat. She posted a video on TikTok, which was later deleted, to share her reaction.
«Opera has existed for 400 years. Ballet—500 years», - Doja said. «Some guy named Timothée Chalamet, by the way, a big guy, dared to say on camera that no one is interested in it. I’m sure you could walk into an opera house right now, and the seats would be filled, and no one would say a word during the performance because everyone has such respect for it. There’s etiquette in opera. There’s etiquette in ballet. It’s amazing. It’s an incredible theatrical form. It’s freaking beautiful».
The women from «The View» also weighed in on the matter, with co-host Whoopi Goldberg noting that Timothée has relatives connected to dance.
«You come from a dance family, so when you criticize someone else’s art form, it’s not pleasant», - Whoopi said. «You probably didn’t realize that until you said, 'Oh, I’m in trouble,' but then you made it worse by saying, '14 cents.' No, when people are angry, it’s going to be much more than 14 cents, so be careful. I’m just saying. Be careful, dude… To me, he’s still a dude. Actually, don’t apologize when you’ve offended. That sounds wrong. You can’t say, 'Oh, that’s stupid, no offense.' That’s absolute disrespect»
© Artemenko Olga
