The 'Leftovers' actor defends himself as he says, 'Our target is not, and never was, to disenfranchise anyone.'
- Dec 9, 2015
AceShowbiz - Justin Theroux breaks his silence after "Zoolander 2" faced backlash over Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of transgender model. "The Leftovers" actor insists that he's not transphobic as he defends the transgender character he wrote in the comedy movie.
"I don't even know what to make of it, because it hurts my feelings in a way. I take great care in the jokes I write, and the umbrage being taken is out of the context of the scene. I wish people would see the movie first. Satire is a thing that points out the idiots, and we went through it on 'Tropic Thunder' with the 'R' word," he told The Wrap.
"The goal was not to mock or be cruel to the mentally challenged, but exalt in the stupidity of people who use that word. I'm all for letting words be ugly when the target is correct," he added. "With social media and all the rest of it, people's issues need to be heard ... at the end of the day people are looking for bandwidth. People are looking for places to inject their voice. But our target is not, and never was, to disenfranchise anyone."
"Zoolander 2" will be released in the U.S. on February 12. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Will Ferrell all reprise their respective roles. Penelope Cruz and Kristen Wiig are among the new additions while Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, and Usher make cameos.
