Timothée Chalamet controversy: Did Steven Spielberg take a jab at ballet-opera remark? ‘We want that to be sustained’

Timothée Chalamet’s controversial comments about ballet and opera are facing backlash, and celebrities are weighing in on it. Now, ‘Jurassic Park’ director Steven Spielberg has made his remark on the same performing art. The ‘Schindler's List’ director's remark comes amid the ongoing backlash against Timothee Chalamet. The Oscar-nominated actor recently joked about ballet and opera “dying.”

Steven Spielberg takes a jab at Timothée Chalamet’s remark

Spielberg was speaking about the importance of movie theaters during a SXSW keynote conversation when he made a comment. After saying that he values streaming and enjoys working with OTT platforms, he added, “But for me, the real experience comes when we can influence a community to congregate in a strange, dark space where all of us are strangers.” Continuing, he said that a really good movie experience unites “with a whole bunch of feelings that we walk into the daylight with, or into the nighttime with.”




“And there’s nothing like that. It happens in movies and in concerts. And it happens in ballet and opera, by the way,” he mentioned. Spielberg grinned as the audience broke out into laughter and cheers. “And we want that to be sustained,” he continued. “We want that to go forever.”

What is the Timothée Chalamet controversy?

The director's remark comes amid the ongoing backlash against Timothee Chalamet. The ‘Marty Supreme’ actor has come under fire recently for joking that ballet and opera are dying during Variety and CNN’s town hall conversation between him and Matthew McConaughey. The Dune actor recently joked about ballet and opera “dying”.

He joked that he wouldn’t want to work in ballet or opera where people have to ask others to “keep it alive” even though, in his words, “no one cares about it anymore,” though he added that he meant no disrespect to those involved in the art forms. Laughing, he admitted he was “taking shots for no reason” and joked that the broadcast might lose “14 cents in viewership” because of the remark.

Celebrities slam Timothée Chalamet’s remark

Several other celebrities have also slammed Chalamet’s comment. Whoopi Goldberg called him “vapid and shallow” on “The View,” while ballerina Misty Copeland called him out for including her in the marketing campaign for his film “Marty Supreme” and later dissing ballet. Other detractors have included Juliette Binoche, Andrea Bocelli, and Doja Cat. Though Doja Cat later retracted her comments and admitted to using the controversy to get attention.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”