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Scarlett Johansson pulled the plug on her Rub & Tug role faster than we could say “bad casting call.” She was all set to play Dante “Tex” Gill—a 1970s transgender crime boss—until the internet blew up over it. The issue? The Avengers star isn’t trans, and the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t having it. Cue the backlash.
At first, Scarlett went into full defense mode, pointing fingers at other actors who played trans characters. “Criticism can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps,” she quipped. Not the best move. Trans advocates like Jamie Clayton and Transparent star Trace Lysette weren’t thrilled. Lysette tweeted, “I wouldn’t be as upset if I was getting in the same rooms as Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett for cis roles, but we know that’s not the case. A mess.”
ScarJo eventually had a change of heart. In a statement to Out.com, she said, “I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement. While I would have loved to bring Dante’s story to life, I understand why many feel a transgender person should portray him.” Talk about a 180.
