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Jenna Ortega Defends 30-Year Age Gap Following Backlash
Jenna Ortega has spoken out regarding the controversy surrounding a 30-year age gap relationship.
Ortega is no stranger to making the headlines – whether she’s addressing those Johnny Depp rumours or defending a racy scene she filmed when she was just 19 years old.
But now she’s facing the backlash over another major age gap relationship.
The divisive story is about her movie, Miller’s Girl, where she stars opposite Martin Freeman.
Despite Ortega’s defense, Miller’s Girl faced a wave of backlash upon its release. Viewers took to social media, expressing their discomfort.
One user on X described the film as: “so gross! So, so, so, so gross!”
Another criticized a specific scene, calling it: “the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” while someone else addressed Freeman directly, posting: “MARTIN FREEMAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO JENNA ORTEGA.”
The 22-year-old actress addressed criticism of the on-screen relationship between her character, 18-year-old Cairo Sweet, and Freeman’s character, high school teacher Jonathan Miller, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
Released in January 2024, the film delves into an inappropriate dynamic between a teacher and his student, sparking widespread debate due to the 30-year age gap between the leads.
Discussing the uncomfortable premise, Ortega explained: “It’s not supposed to be a comfortable movie. It’s supposed to be awful at times.”
She further elaborated: “Art isn’t always meant to be pleasant or happy, [where] everyone skips off into the sunset at the end. We all have f–ked up experiences at one point or another.”
Freeman himself addressed the criticism earlier in the year, defending the film’s intent. In an April interview with The Times, he emphasized” “The film is grown-up and nuanced. It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?’”
He likened the criticism to questioning actors’ roles in other difficult narratives, adding: “Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?”
Kristina Arjona, the film’s intimacy coordinator, also weighed in on the controversy.
In February, she told the Daily Mail that Ortega was fully aware of and comfortable with the scenes she participated in.
“There were many, many people throughout this process engaging with [Ortega] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with,” said Arjona.
She also noted that modesty garments and other safeguards were used during the simulated sex scenes to maintain appropriate boundaries.
Directed by Jade Halley Bartlett, the film features additional performances from Dagmara Domińczyk, Bashir Salahuddin, Gideon Adlon, and Christine Adams.
Despite its cast and bold storyline, Miller’s Girl struggled financially, earning under $900,000 worldwide on a $4 million budget.
It also received a lukewarm reception, with a 29% critics score and 42% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
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