Scarlett Johansson has landed herself in hot water, blatantly dismissing comments that she shouldn't be playing the role of a transgender man.
It was last week announced that Johansson and Ghost In The Shell director Rupert Sanders would be reuniting for Rub & Tug, a film based on the life of Dante ‘Tex’ Gill, a transmasculine mobster in 1970s Pittsburgh infamous for operating massage parlors that served as fronts for prostitution.
The growing criticism only worsened when Bustle this week approached Johansson’s representatives for comment.
They responded with a short, sharp statement, pointing the finger at other cisgendered actors who have played trans characters: “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”
The rep added that the comment came directly from the actress.
Members of the trans community criticised Johansson's response as dismissive, calling once more for trans and gender diverse roles to be reserved for trans and gender diverse actors.
"You’re making a movie about a fat, Trans man who was a crime boss and Scarlett Johansson is the first name that comes to mind?" One commentator wrote on Twitter.
"Really?"
Johansson has previously faced criticism for defending her role in Japanese manga adaptation Ghost In The Shell and repeatedly backing Woody Allen, who she worked with on the 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
