Jenna Ortega has expressed her opinion on the controversy over a 30-year age gap.
Ortega is not a stranger to the spotlight, whether it’s about the Johnny Depp rumors or defending the racy film she shot at the age of 19.
Now, she’s facing a negative reaction to another significant age gap in her relationship.
The polarizing story revolves around her film Miller’s Girl, where she plays opposite Martin Freeman.
Despite Ortega’s assertions, Miller’s Girl was the subject of an outpouring of criticism following its release. The public was on social media to express their displeasure.
On X said of the film, “So gross! So, so so so gross!
Another person criticized a particular scene, calling it “the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” and another person wrote to Freeman directly, writing: MARTIN FREEMAN WHAT ARE you doing to JENNA ORTEGA?
The actress, 22, expressed her opinion on the relation between the character she plays, 18-year-old Cairo Sweet, and Freeman’s character, the High School teacher Jonathan Miller, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
The film will be released in January 2024. The film explores the inappropriate relationship between teachers and students and sparked a controversy due to the difference in age between the two leads.
In discussing the uncomfortable plot, Ortega explained that it’s not intended to be a movie that is relaxing. It’s supposed to be a disaster at moments.
She added: Art isn’t always meant to be happy or pleasant, and everyone flies off into the sunset at the end. We all have had bad moments at one time or another.
Freeman himself spoke out against the criticisms earlier in the year and defended the movie’s purpose. In an interview in April by The Times, he emphasized the film’s mature and subtle. The film isn’t saying, ‘Isn’t this amazing, isn’t it?’
He compared the criticism to asking questions about the roles of actors in other challenging narratives, noting: Should we be able to criticize Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?
Kristina Arjona, who is the director’s director of intimacy, has also commented on the debate.
On February 1, she revealed to the Daily Mail that Ortega was aware as well as comfortable in the events she was a part of.
There were a lot of individuals throughout the process who interacted with [Ortega] in order to ensure that the content was in line with the things she was comfortable with, Arjona said. Arjona.
She also pointed out that modesty clothing, as well as other safety measures, were utilized in the simulation of s**ual scenes to keep proper boundaries.
Directed by Jade Halley Bartlett, the film also features performances by Dagmara Dominczyk, Bashir Salahuddin, Gideon Adlon, and Christine Adams.
Despite its strong cast and storyline, Miller’s Girls struggled in terms of financial success, earning less than $900,000 on a million budget.
It also received a moderately positive reception, receiving a score of 29% from critics and a 42% rating from the audience, according to Rotten Tomatoes.