Scarlett Johansson’s Rep Responds To Backlash Over The Star’s Latest Casting

EPA/Jimmy Morrison

For about a week, actress Scarlett Johansson has been under fire from actors within the LGBTQ community because the star was recently cast as a transgender man in the film Rub & Tug, and now a rep for the actress is responding.

“Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment,” Johansson’s representative said in a statement referring to the three stars who have played transgender characters in Transparent, Dallas Buyers Club and Transamerica.

The 33-year-old actress was cast as Dante “Tex” Gill, a person who identified as a man, and was born Jean Marie Gill and the controversy ensued almost immediately after the casting announcement was made.

“Actors who are trans never even get to audition FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN ROLES OF TRANS CHARACTERS. THATS THE REAL ISSUE. WE CANT EVEN GET IN THE ROOM,” Sense8 actress Jamie Clayton tweeted on Tuesday. “Cast actors WHO ARE TRANS as NON TRANS CHARACTERS. I DARE YOU.”

Transparent star Trace Lysette shared the same view, tweeting, “Oh word?? So you can continue to play us but we can’t play y’all? Hollywood is so f—ked… I wouldn’t be as upset if I was getting in the same rooms as Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett for cis roles, but we know that’s not the case. A mess.”

She continued: “And not only do you play us and steal our narrative and our opportunity but you pat yourselves on the back with trophies and accolades for mimicking what we have lived… so twisted. I’m so done…”