The Critics Choice Awards were the first awards show where Venus and Serena Williams turned out to support King Richard, a film about their father and their family, and a film which they produced. They’re incredibly proud of the film, as they should be, and they’ve been fully welcomed into the Hollywood A-list. Which made it extremely bizarre when, at the Critics Choice Awards, director Jane Campion decided to take a swipe at Serena and Venus in her victory speech. She told Venus and Serena: “What an honor to be in the room with you… Serena and Venus, you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys, like I have to.” It was bad:
So all of Monday, people were dragging Jane Campion and deservedly so! Her statement was peak white feminism and it was also just wrong and insulting. So after all of the well-deserved backlash, Campion issued a statement and an apology on Monday:
Jane Campion issued an apology to Serena and Venus Williams after facing backlash for saying they’ve never had to face off against men like she has.
“I made a thoughtless comment equating what I do in the film world with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved,” Campion told Page Six in a statement. “I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world class athletes… 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.”
Campion, 67, said that the last thing she would ever want to do is “minimize remarkable women.”
“I love Serena and Venus. Their accomplishments are titanic and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologize and completely celebrate you,” she said.
I’m trying to think about how this could have been handled differently on Campion’s end. Like, obviously she should have never said the sh-t in the first place. But the crisis manager in me wonders if the backlash would have been different or more muted if Campion apologized and made this statement immediately late Sunday night, knowing that she f–ked it up in the room? Because issuing this statement after being dragged for 15-plus hours on the internet makes it seem like Jane Campion only realized/understood how problematic her comments were after everyone yelled at her. Sigh…
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Jane Campion attends the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 669495771, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jane Campion, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Venus Williams, Serena Williams attends the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.,Image: 669495868, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 13: Jane Campion wearing Dior Haute Couture arrives at the 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2022 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 669530206, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jane Campion, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 13: Venus Williams wearing Atelier Versace with Sophia Webster shoes and a Rodo clutch arrives at the 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2022 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 669532550, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Venus Williams, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 13: Jane Campion poses with the Best Director award for ‘The Power of the Dog’ in the press room at the 27th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on March 13, 2022 in Century City, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 669559177, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Jane Campion, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
