Timothée Chalamet's Ballet and Opera Comments Keep Burning — Now Misty Copeland Has a Score to Settle
Three weeks after Timothée Chalamet told Matthew McConaughey that "no one cares" about ballet or opera, the backlash refuses to die. Doja Cat, the Metropolitan Opera, Saturday Night Live, and now ballet icon Misty Copeland have all taken aim — and with Chalamet up for Best Actor at Sunday's Oscars, the timing could not be worse.
What Chalamet Actually Said
The remarks came during a CNN and Variety Town Hall in late February, where Chalamet discussed the state of the film industry alongside McConaughey. "I don't want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive, even though, like, no one cares about this anymore,'" he said, before immediately attempting to walk it back. "All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there. I just took shots for no reason."
The clip sat quietly for nearly two weeks before landing on social media with full force. Once it did, the arts world moved fast.
The Met, the Royal Ballet, and a Discount Code Named "Timothée"
Major institutions didn't wait for an apology. The Metropolitan Opera posted a montage of what goes into one of its productions, captioning it "This one's for you, @tchalamet." The Boston Ballet said it was giving Chalamet an "opportunity to change his mind." London's Royal Ballet and Opera urged him to reconsider. The English National Opera extended an invite for free tickets.
The Seattle Opera launched a limited-time discount code — "Timothée" — for its production of Carmen, adding "Timmy, you're welcome to use it too."
Individual performers were sharper still. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard called the remarks "narrow-minded" and a "cheap shot." London-based dancer Anna Yliaho wrote that "only an insecure artist tears down another discipline to elevate their own."
Doja Cat Weighs In — Then Deletes It
Grammy-winning rapper Doja Cat posted a since-deleted TikTok on March 8, mispronouncing Chalamet's name — apparently on purpose — before defending the art forms directly.
"Opera is 400 years old. Ballet is 500 years old," she said. "People go there every day to the dance studio. Dancers show up 8 a.m., 6 a.m., whatever the fuck, they show up, and they break and they bleed every single day, just because they have respect for it."
She closed with a message for Chalamet: "Your industry has a tough time. My industry has a tough time. Doesn't mean people don't care about it."
Misty Copeland Lands the Sharpest Blow
The freshest — and most pointed — rebuke comes from retired American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland, speaking Wednesday at the launch of Aveeno and TOGETHXR's The Strength Issue in New York.
Copeland's standing in this fight is unique. In November 2025, she was featured in Chalamet's own marketing campaign for Marty Supreme, photographed wearing a film windbreaker alongside a childhood image of her dancing ballet with the words "Dream Big" written above it.
"First I have to say that it's very interesting that he invited me to be a part of promoting Marty Supreme with respect to my art form," Copeland said during the panel.
She didn't stop there. Copeland said Chalamet "wouldn't be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren't for opera and ballet" and their influence on the film medium, adding that popularity should not be mistaken for meaning or impact.
SNL, The View, and a Ping-Pong Punchline
Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost noted during Weekend Update that Chalamet "was being criticized by major opera and ballet organizations after he said that no one cares about those art forms," before delivering the kicker: the comment was made on a press tour for a movie about ping-pong.
On The View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg pointed to Chalamet's own family history. "You come from a dance family, so when you crap on somebody else's art form, it doesn't feel good," Goldberg said.
Chalamet's mother and sister trained at the School of American Ballet, and a resurfaced clip shows him describing growing up backstage at New York's David H. Koch Theater: "I grew up dreaming big backstage at the Koch Theater in New York."
Chalamet has not publicly responded to any of the backlash. Both he and Copeland are scheduled to appear at the 98th Academy Awards this Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, where he is nominated for Best Actor for Marty Supreme.
