Julia Fox is facing backlash after a viral interview moment with Marlon Wayans sparked controversy online. The incident centers on her repeated interruptions during a discussion about toxic masculinity and the definition of a “real man.”
Julia Fox receives backlash after interrupting Marlon Wayans
During a BAFTA interview for HIM, the cast discussed toxic masculinity and what defines a “real man.”
As Wayans began responding, saying, “I think the youth needs to hear what real men are. You know, there’s masculine—,” Fox interrupted to ask, “But what are real men?” When Wayans continued, “To me, a real man is a responsible man—,” Fox interjected again, commenting, “’Cause every time a man does some fuck shit, they’ll be like, ‘That’s not a real man!’ And it’s like, ‘Looks like a man to me!’”
Wayans tried to continue, adding, “I think a real man is in touch with his feminine side,” before Fox again interrupted with, “Looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck.” Attempting to finish his thought, Wayans said, “I think a real man knows how to unstrap from his ego,” while Fox remarked, “I think the ‘real man’ thing is just the thing that people invented to excuse bad behavior. Like, all men are real men.” Wayans then responded, “Said like a real man!”
Co-star Tyriq Withers later contributed, saying, “I think there’s this false narrative of what real men do. It’s tied into privilege and masculinity, and exploring that in films is important because we’re raising these young boys to be men.” Fox did not interrupt him and nodded in agreement.
The viral clip prompted online criticism and discussion. One user commented, “This was so annoying. Julia was triggered by hearing the phrase ‘real man’ coming out of a man’s mouth not understanding Marlon has a very different intersectional POV.” Others described her behavior as an example of “white feminism,” writing, “White women need to understand their feminism exists in a different context around Black people.”