Jane Campion Apologises After Backlash For “Thoughtless” Venus And Serena Williams Comment
“Venus and Serena, you are such marvels. However you do not play against the guys.”
Jane Campion has apologised to Venus and Serena Williams for her “thoughtless comment” in an acceptance speech given on Sunday.
Campion addressed the tennis star siblings at the Critics’ Choice Awards after taking home Best Director for her film The Power of the Dog. “Venus and Serena, you are such marvels. However you do not play against the guys like I have to,” she said, also jokingly asking for coaching lessons.
Jane Campion's speech at #CriticsChoiceAwards is white feminism in a nutshell.
She should win the Oscar, but this speech is cringy. pic.twitter.com/hQ1rReU7Cv
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) March 14, 2022
What the fuck is wrong with Jane Campion
— hot ancestor (@NayukaGorrie) March 14, 2022
“The nerve of Jane Campion to suggest her journey is harder than that of two Black women who’ve overcome racism, sexism, and classism in one of the whitest, richest sports in the world to become CHAMPIONS again and again is why I have trust issues with white feminists,” said record producer Drew Dixon on Twitter, amid widespread social media backlash.
In a statement released on Monday, Campion said she “did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world-class athletes”.
“I made a thoughtless comment equating what I do in the film world with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved,” she said. “The fact is the Williams sisters have, actually, squared off against men on the court (and off), and they have both raised the bar and opened doors for what is possible for women in this world.”
“The last thing I would ever want to do is minimise remarkable women. I love Serena and Venus. Their accomplishments are titanic and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologise and completely celebrate you.”
The siblings were in the audience to support the biopic King Richard, about their father Richard Williams, played by Will Smith who landed Best Actor at the ceremony. Venus and Serena were both Executive Producers on the film, which was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Song, Best Young Performer, and Best Screenplay.