Jane Campion, director of The Power of the Dog, is facing criticism for a comment she made about Venus and Serena Williams during Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards. While accepting the award for best director during the ceremony, Campion began her speech by thanking the presenter, fellow New Zealander Taika Waititi.
She then thanked the Critics Choice Association and Halle Berry, who delivered a powerful speech on Sunday after receiving the SeeHer Award, according to People. As Campion continued with her own speech, she acknowledged Will Smith, who won best actor on Sunday for his performance in King Richard, People reports.
“I’ve taken up tennis — I truly have — and Will [Smith], if you want to come over and give me lessons, I would truly love it. I actually had to stop playing because I’ve got tennis elbow,” Campion said.
The director proceeded with her speech, giving kudos to the rest of the stars who were nominated for the best director award. As she then circled back to the King Richard movie, Campion directed her comments toward Venus and Serena Williams, the tennis legends portrayed in the biopic.
“Venus and Serena, you’re such marvels,” Campion said, according to Variety. “However, you don’t play against the guys, like I have to.”
The comment instantly set off a firestorm on social media.
https://twitter.com/shararehdrury/status/1503227880548933633
While some people understood that Campion was attempting to make a lighthearted joke, the comment was still heavily criticized.
And this is why one should WRITE THE SPEECH beforehand. Oh, boy. I’m sure she didn’t mean it how it came out, but uuugh.
— Steffani Cameron, Deep State Operative 🇺🇦 (@SnarkySteff) March 14, 2022
A day earlier, Campion was championed for the response she gave to Sam Elliott, the actor who made harsh comments on a recent podcast, saying a woman from New Zealand had no business making a Western movie.
“I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He’s not a cowboy; he’s an actor,” Campion told Variety’s Marc Malkin on Saturday at the DGA Awards. “The West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range. I think it’s a little bit sexist.”
But it was apparently a different energy after Campion made her comments on Sunday.
The brilliance of Jane champion to be trending and dominating on Twitter. Genuis marketing
— Jon D Boli (@bolijune) March 14, 2022
to just flagrantly dismiss every barrier the William's sisters have shattered and their near endless accomplishments is earth shatteringly ignorant. I still can't believe she said that. I'm rarely shocked here…I still cant believe she got a round of applause for that.
— ΩStuntman MikeΩ (@Stuntman_MIK3) March 14, 2022
Despite her comments, Campion was spotted with Venus at Netflix’s afterparty following the Critics Choice Awards. The two women posed for photos together and mingled with other celebrities such as Lin-Manuel Miranda.
