Jimmy Kimmel Takes Swipe At Timothée Chalamet’s Backlash Over Ballet & Opera Comment
Jimmy Kimmel knows that publicists have a difficult job when their clients become the center of a scandal after making public remarks.
Timothée Chalamet recently received backlash over his comments about ballet and opera, and Kimmel took a swipe at it during his acceptance speech at the 2026 ICG Publicists Awards.
The late-night talk show host took the stage at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Friday, March 13, to accept the President Awards honor and made a joke amid the fallout the Marty Supreme star is facing.
“Publicists have a very difficult job, especially when your clients have strong opinions about opera and ballet,” Kimmel joked.
The audience burst out in laughter at the quip, and Kimmel continued, “Remember when they used to say, ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity?’ That was a lot of Kanye’s and Diddy’s ago.”
In a CNN & Variety Town Hall, Chalamet said that “no one cares about [opera or ballet] anymore,” and the backlash was swift.
Chalamet’s comments have prompted reactions from the ballet community, which included ballet dancer Misty Copeland, who was featured in a promo for Marty Supreme.
At an event for Aveeno, Copeland said, “There’s a reason that the opera and ballet have been around for over 400 years.” She also made a comment directly about Chalamet, saying, “”I mean, he wouldn’t be an actor and have the opportunities he has as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet and their relevance in that medium. So all of these mediums have a space and we shouldn’t be comparing them.”
