Rebel Wilson got the publicity push for her new movie, “Isn’t It Romantic,” off to a rough start with some heavily criticized remarks on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” last week.
Wilson sat down with DeGeneres Oct. 31 to chat about the film, which co-stars Adam DeVine and Liam Hemsworth and opens on Valentine’s Day 2019. At one point during the interview, the “Pitch Perfect” actress praised “Isn’t It Romantic” for breaking away from Hollywood tropes, and said she was “proud to be the first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy.”
Twitter was quick to point out, however, that Wilson overlooked a number of plus-size actresses who’ve starred in romantic comedies before.
As Georgia Byrd in 2006’s “Last Holiday,” Queen Latifah fell for LL Cool J’s Sean Williams after embarking on a luxury European vacation assuming she had just weeks to live. That same year, Mo’Nique starred as the “succulent” Jazmin Biltmore in “Phat Girlz,” where she romanced a buff Nigerian doctor, Tunde Jonathan (Jimmy Jean-Louis), at a Palm Springs resort.
Others went a step further, and said Wilson’s comments amounted to another example of black erasure in popular culture.
By Saturday, Mo’Nique herself chimed in on Twitter, suggesting Wilson “take a moment and know the history” of romantic comedies before making such bold claims about her casting.
Later that day, Wilson responded by telling Mo’Nique it was “never my intention to erase anyone else’s achievements,” and offered praise for both her and Queen Latifah.
Unfortunately for “Isn’t It Romantic,” the backlash doesn’t appear to be dissipating anytime soon. Wilson has now reportedly blocked a number of critics of her “Ellen DeGeneres Show” claims on Twitter, inspiring a #RebelWilsonBlockedMe hashtag.
UPDATE: 6:18 p.m. ― On Monday evening, Wilson issued a mea culpa. “I neglected to show the proper respect to those who climbed this mountain before me like Mo’Nique, Queen Latifah, Melissa McCarthy, Ricki Lake and likely many others,” she tweeted.