Kieran Culkin cringes as co-star Julie Delpy says she wishes she was African American

By Abby Amoakuh

Updated Apr 4, 2024 at 11:17 AM

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We have one question for Julie Delpy: why? The French-American actress and screenwriter stirred up some considerable controversy when an old interview from 2016 resurfaced, in which Delpy tried to illustrate the pitfalls of being a woman in Hollywood. To make her argument, the star shockingly stated that she wished she was—hold your breath—African American instead. I know, I’m also not sure what was wrong with her that day…

“There is nothing worse than being a woman in this business,” the actress stated definitively. “I sometimes wish I was African American, you know because I think at least people don’t bash them afterwards when they say something about a reality we know like xenophobia. You know we live in a xenophobic environment, not just the economy of course, but the entire world.” 

Delpy continued: “I think its probably the hardest to be a woman because feminists are probably something that people hate above all. Like I believe there is nothing worse than being a woman in this business,” she concluded.

Throughout her whole speech, we can see Succession star Kieran Culkin trying to disappear in his seat and, honestly, we don’t blame him.

The video originated from the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 where the two actors were promoting the movie Wiener-Dog.

The clip understandably went viral on social media, with many netizens questioning Delpy’s inability to understand that being Black and a woman was not mutually exclusive considering that Black women, well, exist.

“Prime example of why intersectionality is so important,” one TikTok user argued. “Has she ever heard of people who are both?” another user questioned.

Someone else joked: “Kieran is looking around like, ‘Y’all ain’t gonna stop this interview?’”

Unfortunately, the interview didn’t stop and Delpy was allowed to make her point without being reminded that being Black or African American was definitely not easier than being a woman. It allowed her to trivialise and ignore the burden that Black women shoulder, as well as promote competition rather than collaboration between marginalised groups.