Misty Copeland calls out 'naive' Timothee Chalamet over controversial remarks on ballet and opera

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Timothee Chalamet's controversial comments about ballet and opera have drawn criticism from ballet icon Misty Copeland.

Speaking on a recent podcast, the 43-year-old former Ballet Theatre principal dancer called the actor's remarks "naive" and said they failed to acknowledge the privilege of growing up.

Copeland argued that Chalamet benefited from opportunities and has a connection to the arts that many people do not have.

Misty Copeland slams Timothee Chalamet for his comment 

The former Ballet Theatre principal dancer addressed the actor's remarks during a recent appearance on Maria Sharapova's 'Pretty Tough podcast'. “Not everyone has the opportunity and the privilege to have been a part of it, and he was," Copeland said. 

"He grew up in New York City, exposed to a plethora of arts and in ballet, and immersed in this world." The ballerina went on to stress that not everyone has access to the same opportunities.

"Not everyone has that incredible privilege," she continued. "I know that those things have made an impact on him and clearly have influenced who he is as an artist and who he is as a person."

Copeland also defended the importance of classical art forms, saying they continue to influence modern entertainment.

"I think that opera and ballet are kind of the foundation and catalyst for film and for television and so many other art forms, and it's just a little bit naive to make such a statement," she said.

"All talk and we say things that we don't always mean, but I think that it was more kind of hurtful to the community to say that people didn't care," she said.

Copeland added that she has spent her career working to make ballet more relevant to wider audiences. "I've worked my entire career to be able to continue to make it feel important to a whole new community that didn't always feel that way," Copeland stated. 

Timothee Chalamet talks about ballet and opera 

Chalamet found himself at the center of a debate in February after discussing the state of cinema during a CNN interview with Matthew 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,'" Chalamet said.

The actor quickly acknowledged that his comment might not sit well with everyone and attempted to walk it back. "All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there," he quickly noted. "I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason."