Timothée Chalamet Is Facing Criticism for His Controversial Statement About the Arts

• Timothée Chalamet has come under fire for his controversial statement about the arts.
• "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,'" the 30-year-old explained at a recent CNN and Variety town hall.
• "All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there," he added after his controversial comment. "I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason."

Timothée Chalamet has been front and centre in 2026. And from his award season success, tipped for an Academy Award win for his role in Marty Supreme, to his relationship with Kylie Jenner, the Dune actor continues to make headlines.

It was a controversial comment that got the world talking about Chalamet this weekend, as the actor received criticism for his words about the arts, with a video clip from February resurfacing online.

"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 told his Interstellar co-star Matthew McConaughey during a recent CNN and Variety town hall last month.

"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.

"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 continued in a controversial remark.

"All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there," Chalamet added, noting: "I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason."

Chalamet's words about ballet and opera have prompted mass criticism, with numerous professionals from the arts speaking out against the comment.

Among them was The Royal Ballet and Opera, who released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation — they have continually informed, inspired, and elevated other art forms," read the statement. "Their influence can be felt across theatre, film, contemporary music, fashion, and beyond. For centuries, these disciplines have shaped the way artists create and audiences experience culture, and today millions of people around the world continue to enjoy and engage with them."

We will continue to update this story.