Timothee Chalamet is facing backlash from his peers in the entertainment industry following controversial statements regarding traditional art forms like ballet and opera. The 30-year-old actor stirred controversy during a CNN & Variety Town Hall Event at the University of Texas at Austin, where he expressed mixed feelings about advocating for people to watch films in theaters. Chalamet, who has been nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Marty Supreme,” remarked, “It’s like, ‘Keep this thing alive even though no one cares about this thing anymore,’” regarding ballet and opera.

On ABC’s chat roundtable, panelist Sarah Haines highlighted the irony of Chalamet’s comments, given that his grandmother, mother, and sister all once performed with the New York City Ballet. Additionally, Sunny Hostin, who has ties to the Dance Theatre of Harlem, expressed her disapproval, saying the actor’s remarks left her feeling “offended” and “disappointed.” Hostin candidly stated, “I didn’t realize that he was that vapid and that shallow.” Meanwhile, Goldberg pointed out Chalamet’s familial connections to dance, remarking, “When you undermine someone else’s art form, it doesn’t feel good,” and suggesting he might not have realized the impact of his words until they backfired.

Goldberg further criticized Chalamet for joking about losing merely 14 cents in the aftermath of his comments, warning, “When people get mad, it’ll be a lot more than 14 cents—so be careful.” She referred to Chalamet as “a boy,” clarifying, “No disrespect,” echoing a phrase he used during the town hall. Goldberg advised against insincere apologies, stating, “Really, don’t apologize when you’ve insulted. It doesn’t sound right. You can’t say, ‘Oh, this is dumb, no disrespect.’ That’s absolute disrespect.”

Guest panelist Sheryl Underwood was a bit more understanding toward Chalamet as he got lambasted for his remarks. Said Underwood: ‘I think he thought he could say that; first, he just made the good ping-pong movie. ‘He’s a young, handsome man, but I bet if he was playing [late ballet dancer] Rudolf Nureyev … he’d respect the art form a little bit better.’ Underwood said Chalamet’s youth might have been a factor in the ill-received comments. ‘That goes to show a lot of young people need to understand, don’t just flip off and say something,’ she said. ‘Really understand that your words have meaning to other young people. I think he can do it.’

Chalamet (+125) is currently a slight underdog to take home the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, as Sinners’ star Michael B. Jordan (-125) is currently the favorite in the category, according to the online casino Bovada. One Battle After Another’s Leonardo DiCaprio (+900), The Secret Agent’s Wagner Moura (+1600) and Blue Moon’s Ethan Hawke (+2000) are also nominated for the honor. Chalamet’s first nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role was for his work in the 2017 motion picture Call Me By Your Name. He was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his role as Bob Dylan in 2024’s A Complete Unknown.