Following initial responses from ballet and opera organizations, The View hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and Sara Haines criticized Timothée Chalamet for remarks likening struggling movie theaters to declining interest in those art forms. They highlighted his family's dance heritage and defended the arts' value, while more invitations and critiques poured in.
Timothée Chalamet made the comments during a CNN and Variety Town Hall Event on March 7, 2026, alongside Matthew McConaughey, expressing reluctance to work in fields like ballet or opera perceived as fighting for relevance: 'All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership.'
As covered previously, organizations including London's Royal Ballet and Opera, English National Opera, Seattle Opera (offering 14% off tickets with code 'Timothée'), and the Metropolitan Opera responded with invitations and promotional jabs.
On March 9, The View's Hot Topics segment amplified the backlash. Sara Haines noted Chalamet's family ties—his grandmother, mother, and sister involved with the New York City Ballet—joking, 'This seems like a family issue.' Sunny Hostin, of Dance Theatre of Harlem, said she was 'offended' and 'disappointed,' calling him 'vapid and shallow' and stressing, 'Ballet is hard.'
Whoopi Goldberg, addressing his background, warned: 'You come from a dance family. And so, when you crap on somebody else’s art form, it doesn’t feel good. Be careful, boy... Don’t apologize when you’ve insulted, because it doesn’t sound right.'
Singer Doja Cat also reacted in a now-deleted TikTok, defending opera's 400-year history and ballet's 500-year legacy, noting theaters remain packed with respectful audiences.
