‘Power Of The Dog’ Director Jane Campion Apologized After Making Bizarre Comments About Venus And Serena Williams

All good things come to an end, and so it is for Jane Campion. The acclaimed filmmaker has had it good for months. Her latest film, the revisionist Western The Power of the Dog, has been scooping up one award after another. It even got a bump when actor Sam Elliott inexplicably trashed it, prompting a memorable response from its maker. But now it’s Campion’s turn to get torched for saying something bizarre — though at least she quickly apologized.

As per The New York Times, on Sunday evening, Campion was accepting her second Best Director trophy in as many days, this time at the Critics Choice Awards. She used her speech to thank all the powerful women in the room with her, including Halle Berry (who won the #SeeHer award) as well as Venus and Serena Williams, portrayed in the biopic King Richard. But things went a little off the rails when she discussed the tennis pros.

It started innocently enough. “And Venus and Serena, what an honor to be in the room with you,” Campion said. “I’ve taken up tennis. I truly have. And Will, if you want to come over and give me lessons, I would truly love it. I actually had to stop playing ’cause I got tennis elbow. I’d also just like to give my love out to my fellow — the guys. The nominees.”

But then things got weird. “And you know, Serena and Venus, you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys — like I have to,” she said.

The cutaway to Venus Williams’ face quickly went viral as many online shifted their anger from a hater of The Power of the Dog to the person who made it. “No matter how far we come, we get reminded that it’s not enough,” one person commented on a YouTube clip of Campion’s speech.

Campion was quick to issue a mea culpa. “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 in a statement. “I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world-class athletes.” She went on:

“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 minimize remarkable women. I love Serena and Venus. Their accomplishments are titanic and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologize and completely celebrate you.”

Campion still has lots to look forward to. The Oscars are less than two weeks away, and it’s likely that her film, which has already collected so many trophies, will add some more to the towering pile. But the goodwill she’s engendered may if not over then dimming significantly.

(Via NYT)

Source: https://uproxx.com/movies/jane-campion-venus-serena-williams-comments-apology-2/