Misty Copeland got here out of retirement and restoration simply in time to make a degree on pointe about Timothée Chalamet’s ballet-bashing feedback on the Academy Awards. In a star-studded efficiency of “I Lied To You” from Sinners, she twirled on the hypocritical hater as he sat entrance row.
Supply: PATRICK T. FALLON/Dia Dipasupil
On Sunday night time, songwriter Raphael Sadiq opened the show-stopping reenactment, inviting us again into Smoke and Stack’s juke joint together with his guitar. Within the live-action model of the beautiful cinematic sequence, co-stars Jayme Lawson and Li Jun Li encompass Miles Caton. Blues legend Buddy Man, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Eric Gales, Bobby Rush, Alice Smith, and DJ D-Good quickly emerged to affix the powerhouse efficiency that spanned generations, genres, and geography.
On the musical, emotional, and religious peak of Caton’s veil-piercing excessive observe, Copeland dazzlingly danced into middle stage. Her lovely ballet strikes adopted a surprising collection of footworking, twerking, Xiqu, breakdancing, Zaouli, and extra. The viewers went wild with applause! One of the notable members of the standing ovation was Greatest Lead Actor nominee for Marty Supreme, Timothée Chalamet.
All corners of the web and media have united to totally thrash the Dune actor for shading the ballet and opera as artwork kinds that “nobody cares about.” He made the controversial feedback throughout a Selection and CNN City Corridor with Matthew McConaughey. And the backlash hasn’t taken a break since, besides to tug Jack Harlow’s Widespread Cosplay.
“I like folks, and I’ve executed it myself, who go on a chat present and go, ‘Hey, we gotta maintain film theaters alive. You realize, we gotta maintain this style alive,’” Chalamet advised McConaughey per Leisure Weekly. “And one other a part of me appears like, if folks need to see it, like Barbie, like Oppenheimer, they’re going to go see it and exit of their solution to be loud and proud about it.”
“And I don’t need to be working in ballet or opera, or , issues the place it’s like, ‘Hey, maintain this factor alive,’ though it’s like, nobody cares about this anymore,” he continued.
“All respect to the ballet and opera folks on the market,” he added.
You realize who cares about ballet? New Oscar winner Ryan Coogler, who included a ballet dancer among the many performers within the transcendent music sequence in Sinners. It was solely proper to characteristic Copeland, who broke racial obstacles within the artwork type to grow to be one of the well-known ballerinas on the earth. Just like the legend she is, the 43-year-old delivered a grasp class on ballet’s relevance on relevé!
Earlier than she was introduced as a part of the Academy Awards presentation of “I Lied To You,” all eyes have been on Copeland for a response to Chalamet’s feedback. By the point Copeland pliéd in his face, Chalamet already performed in hers as one of many celebrities enlisted to advertise his ping pong film. If that wasn’t shady sufficient, Timmy’s personal mom, grandmother, and sister are skilled ballet dancers. Make it make sense!
Take a look at how Misty Copeland clapped again at Timothée Chalamet’s ignorant interview after the leap!
Misty Copeland Clapped Again At Timothée Chalamet: He “Wouldn’t Be An Actor… If It Weren’t For Opera And Ballet!”
On March 8, Misty Copeland entered the Timothée Chalamet chat whereas talking on a panel. “First I’ve to say that it’s very attention-grabbing that he invited me to be part of selling Marty Supreme with respect to my artwork type,” she stated noting the audacity.
“I feel that it’s vital that we acknowledge that, sure, that is an artwork type that’s not ‘in style’ and part of popular culture as films are. However that doesn’t imply it doesn’t have enduring relevance in tradition,” she defined.
“It’s usually mistaken when one thing is in style that it’s significant or extra impactful. there’s a purpose that the opera and ballet have been round for over 400 years. There’s a purpose that the opera and ballet have been round for over 400 years.
Copeland hit probably the most sleek mic drop second when she added that Chalamet “wouldn’t be an actor and have the alternatives he has as a film star if it weren’t for opera and ballet of their relevance in that medium.”
Let ’em know, Misty!
She additionally famous that the mission of the Misty Copeland Basis is to make the historical past and artform of ballet accessible to extra audiences. She delivered on precisely that within the grand finale of the “I Lied To You.”
New Hip, Who Dis? Earlier than Misty Copeland’s Clapback, She Made A Huge Comeback From Hip Surgical procedure
The second was a triumph for Copeland as a lot because it was for the tradition. The 2026 Academy Awards have been her first efficiency since retiring from skilled dancing in late 2025 and present process hip substitute surgical procedure.
Lower than three months earlier than her completely pointed ft have been on Chalamet’s neck, she was studying methods to stroll once more. That didn’t cease the beautiful star from strutting her stuff on the crimson carpet in a ballet-inspired David Koma robe with a tutu-style embellishment.
She additionally wore practically $2 million in pure diamonds from Jared, totaling about 30 carats, styled by Karla Welch. The jewellery was anchored by a 27-carat emerald-cut diamond ring often known as the Jared Mpho Diamond, valued at $1.8 million.
On the crimson carpet for an Oscars afterparty, Copeland doubled down that Timothée ought to know higher as a result of “he had the privilege of rising up and seeing [ballet] firsthand.” Nonetheless, she emphasised how very important extra sources are for “communities that in any other case wouldn’t have entry and alternative that wouldn’t be uncovered to it.”
“It’s actually about educating folks in regards to the significance of it in our society and that it does play an enormous position. It impacts so many different artforms. It’s actually about arts schooling and dance schooling,” she advised Selection in an interview.
That altruistic reply was all that wanted to be stated after Copeland shut down the stage with what could also be her final efficiency post-retirement.
Hopefully, lengthy after social media has run out of other names to troll “Toyota Chevrolet,” this ardour about ballet and opera will proceed to assist the subsequent Misty Copeland or Leontyne Value, who turned 99 in February.
