Timothee Chalamet & Kylie Jenner Reportedly Facing ‘Relationship Strain’ After ‘Backlash’ to Ballet Comments—’Things Are Definitely Tense’
If Timothee Chalamet anticipated being in the news the week before the Oscars, he surely thought it would be because of his performance on Marty Supreme. Chalamet, who is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, had been seen as a frontrunner for the award. Now, however, things have taken a turn. And it might even be affecting his relationship with Kylie Jenner.
What happened? Chalamet sat down with Matthew McConaughey in a conversation at the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication on Feb. 21. Part of the conversation centered on the challenges of theatrical releases these days and concerns about the movie industry in general.
Related: Who has Timothee Chalamet dated?
“I admire people — and I’ve done it myself — who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theaters alive, we’ve gotta keep this genre alive,’” Chalamet said. “And another part of me feels like if people want to see it, like Barbie, like Oppenheimer, they’re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it.”
But then he added, “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive,’ even though no one cares about this anymore. All respect to the ballet and opera people out there … I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking shots for no reason.”
And it’s not just the ballet and opera communities that have reacted strongly. Instead, most people involved in the arts in any way, and a lot in Hollywood, have condemned his remarks.
Rob Shuter is reporting that it’s also caused strain in his romantic relationship. “The relationship is definitely feeling the strain,” he reported on his Naughty But Nice Substack. “Timothée is under a lot of pressure right now and it’s spilling into his personal life.”
“A lot of people in the industry were shocked,” the source said. “Ballet and opera are deeply respected in that world.” And indeed, several big names in Hollywood, like Jamie Lee Curtis, have already gone on the record with their problems with Chalamet’s comments.
Part of the problem has reportedly been how Chalamet has dealt with the drama. “The Kardashian-Jenner family is used to backlash and public drama,” an insider explained. “They’ve dealt with it their entire careers. Timothée hasn’t.”
Jenner, reports say, has continued to be supportive but feels like she’s being dragged into the controversy. “Kylie knows how the media storm works,” the source said, “But Timothée is taking it very personally.”
Will this be the end of them? Unlikely. But it’s at least caused friction. “They’re trying to work through it,” the insider added. “But right now, things are definitely tense.”
Chalamet is expected to be present at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15. Jenner has accompanied him to other awards this awards season. Will they rock the red carpet together on Sunday? And what, if any, will be their response if they get asked about the controversy directly? We’ll find out soon.
