Fans drag Jacob Elordi after Joey King responds to his criticism of 'The Kissing Booth' films

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Joey King joins the fans in criticizing her ‘The Kissing Booth’ co-star Jacob Elordi after he slammed the franchise and called the movies “ridiculous.”

Speaking to Variety during the Balenciaga fashion show on Saturday, December 2, King expressed her disapproval of Elordi’s censure of the movie franchise that helped both actors establish themselves in the industry.

Referring to Elordi’s words, the 24-year-old actress said, “I think it’s unfortunate anyone would feel that way.”

She added as an extra measure, “I had a great time making those movies no matter what anyone says.”

What did Jacob Elordi say of ‘The Kissing Booth’?

Elordi, who played the role of Noah, the primary love interest of King’s Elle, said to GQ in his ‘Men of the Year’ cover story, “I didn’t want to make those movies before I made those movies.”

He further disparaged the movies and said, “Those movies are ridiculous. They’re not universal. They’re an escape.”

Another star from the franchise, Taylor Zakhar Perez, who played the role of Marco, also slammed Elordi’s take on the films and said “I thought it was a shame because to my knowledge, everybody else had such a wonderful experience.”

He added, “It’s a shame that was his experience on the set. Especially when those movies came out, it was a time when we really needed something like that.”

Perez continued to express his gratitude to the film saying, “I know from our fan interactions, getting stopped everywhere I go, what ‘Kissing Booth’ means to people and what it brought them during such a dark time. I guess the silver lining is he still made people laugh and feel good.”

Elordi, however, retracted somewhat in his statement as he said later, “I’m incredibly grateful to everybody in it.”

'Those movies are the reason he has a career'

Fans criticized Elordi for his criticism of his role. 

One of the fans said, "Exactly he just wanna feel different by saying he doesn’t like his biggest role."

Someone else said, "Jacob Elordi needs to understand that when you crap on a project like he has, he’s also crapping on his co-stars, the creators, and especially the fans. Those movies are important to a lot of fans. Don’t dismiss them because you suddenly moved up a peg."

Another fan said, "Think he thinks he’s too good for those movies now 🙄."

"I'm just never a fan of someone publicly crapping on their previous work. Even if you don't like the work or you're embarrassed, it got you to where you are today. Every job is just a part of the journey," said someone else.

Another fan opined, "That movie is what first made him relevant. He should be more grateful."

"Those movies are the reason he has a career. I don’t see Joey and Taylor hating on the movies," opined someone else.

Jacob Elordi previously said he 'hated being a character to the public'

Elordi, who has a love-hate relationship with the franchise, had previously made controversial statements as well. 

He said to GQ in 2022 about his experience in starring in the franchise, "[It] might sound quite sensitive and dramatic, but I am sensitive and I’m very dramatic. I hated being a character to the public. I felt so far from myself," per Teen Vogue.

Talking about the media attention that he received after the success of the film, he said, “It felt like, all of a sudden, I was a poster,” before adding, “Like I was a billboard. It felt like it was for sale. Then my brain went through the f**king wringer. Like, I wasn’t sure if I was genuine. It really skews your view. It creates a very paranoid way of living.”