Doja Cat slams Timothée Chalamet over opera and ballet remarks

Doja Cat has criticized Timothée Chalamet after the actor faced backlash for comments suggesting that few people care about opera and ballet.

The 30-year-old rapper spoke out in a TikTok video after Chalamet, also 30, made remarks about traditional performing arts while discussing the film industry.

In the video, Doja Cat defended the long-standing art forms and questioned the actor’s claim that audiences have lost interest in them.

“By the way, opera is 400 years old and ballet is 500 years old,” she said. 

“Somebody named Timothée Chalamet had the nerve, big guy by the way, had the nerve on camera to say that nobody cares about it.”

She added that opera houses still draw large audiences who attend performances with deep respect for the craft.

“I’m pretty sure that if you went to an opera theatre right now, seats will be filled,” she said, emphasizing the dedication and appreciation surrounding live performances.

The Paint the Town Red hitmaker also praised the commitment of ballet dancers, highlighting the physical and emotional demands of the profession.

“They show up, they break and they bleed every single day just because they have respect for it,” she said. “They love it.”

Chalamet’s remarks came during a conversation with actor Matthew McConaughey, where the pair discussed changes in the entertainment industry and how films attract audiences.

While talking about the need to keep movie theaters thriving, Chalamet said he admired artists who advocate for preserving certain genres but admitted he personally would not want to work in an art form that must constantly ask audiences to “keep this thing alive.”

“I don't want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it's like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore,’” he said, adding that he still has “all respect” for performers in those fields.

The comments quickly sparked reactions from members of the classical arts community.

The Metropolitan Opera responded on TikTok by sharing a behind-the-scenes video showing musicians rehearsing and crews preparing for a performance in New York City. The caption read, “This one’s for you, Timothée Chalamet.”

Meanwhile, London’s Royal Ballet and Opera invited the actor to attend a performance at the Royal Opera House.

“Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera,” the organization wrote on Instagram. 

“For the music. For the storytelling. For the sheer magic of live performance.”

Opera singer Deepa Johnny also weighed in, calling the actor’s remarks disappointing and urging greater support for traditional art forms.

“There is nothing more impressive than the magic of live theatre, ballet and opera,” she said, adding that these mediums have a lasting and transformative impact on audiences.