Has It Come To This? Jessica Chastain Responds To Reports Of Alleged Beef With Jennifer Lawrence

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by Charlie Schmidlin
February 11, 2013 9:01 AM
8 Comments

Every awards season, there are really only two moments of true suspense during the ceremonies: The reading of the names of the winning film or actor in each category, and the views of the hopeful, pensive faces of those who represent them. Two Best Actress nominees this year will be extra scrutinized as a result of reported “insider squabbling,” but really the occasion has led one of the leading ladies to respond with a level-headed fury.

After an ever-trustworthy “insider source” revealed to the National Enquirer (via Entertainment Wise) that "Silver Linings Playbook" actress Jennifer Lawrence and “Zero Dark Thirty” lead Jessica Chastain butted heads over Lawrence's increased awards presence -- “stealing” and “seething” being two verbs used -- the story promptly gained a ridiculous hold. Lawrence's “SNL” hosting spot didn't do the rumors any favors either, with the actress proclaiming about Chastain, “In 'Zero Dark Thirty' you caught Bin Laden. So what? In 'Winter's Bone' I caught a squirrel - and then I ate it. Boom. Deal with that."

There are always calculated and contrived smear tactics like this meant to derail or disrupt certain campaigns, but rather than letting the story continue to simmer in its tabloid pap, Chastain responded on her Facebook page with a slew of insightful and spot-on comments. “I find it very sad that media makes up bogus stories about women fighting in this industry,” she wrote. “Why do we support the myth that women are competitive and cannot get along?” She also writes that she's “done two photo shoots with Lawrence” and found her to be “utterly charming and a great talent,” and concludes by saying “a great year for women in film, is just a great year for film.

You can read the full statement below, and get properly updated before Emmanuelle Riva and Quvenzhane Wallis naturally duke it out in the next Oscars round. It's certainly a shame that the rumor even had to get this far, but it's another reminder that Oscar season can get pretty ugly before it's over.

I find it very sad that media makes up bogus stories about women fighting in this industry. Filming The Help was the most amazing experience and yet, that is the film Im most asked about in regards to "fighting on set". Why do we support the myth that women are competitive and cannot get along?
I think all of the actresses recognized this year have given incredible performances. But more important, they've all shown themselves to be filled with generosity and kindness. I've done two photo shoots with Jennifer Lawrence over the years and have found her to be utterly charming and a great talent. I've told her how beautiful her film work is.
Please don't allow the media to perpetuate the myth that women arent supportive of each other. Everytime an actress is celebrated for her great work, I cheer. For the more brilliant their performance, the more the audience demands stories about women. With support and encouragement, we help to inspire this industry to create opportunities for women. And as we all know: a great year for women in film, is just a great year for film xxjes

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More: Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Awards

8 Comments

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Xavier | March 13, 2013 12:59 PMReply

"I don't really like Jessica Chastain."

Funny... thought the same over the last few weeks. No matter which website you open, she will simile at you from a photo somewhere.

Me neither... she reminds me of an ex-girlfriend... and yes she seems omnipresent, pushed too far. I am not interested in watching any single movie with her.
Duder NME | February 18, 2013 11:24 AMReply

Tabloid garbage spun as "news" for bloggers to regurgitate - seems like an information dirge worthy of a Pink Floyd lyric.
BLUE | February 11, 2013 4:07 PMReply

I don't really like Jessica Chastain. I feel she is being force fed to us by Hollywood as the next big star. Doesn't mean anything. Whatever happened to Natalie Portman? These women usually only have 4 or 5 peak years to their career before their banished to "older women" roles. and yes that's a "sexist generalization".
Juvenile Cinephile | February 18, 2013 10:17 PM

"Force-fed"? Portman has been around since she was a kid. Chastain just had her breakout roles that were in 5 films in a string of 3 years that had all sorts of delays that all popped around theaters within months. Tree of Life, Take Shelter, Lawless, Corialanus, and Zero Dark Thirty are hardly studio/Vanity Fair/The Hollywood Reporter kind of pushes of actresses (think Gretchen Mol on Vanity Fair cover as the infamous 'New IT Girl'). She actually backed out of two franchise films to do Zero Dark Thirty because she had already done work on a Megan Ellison (hardly an insider either) with Lawless.
WhereisNataliePortman? | February 11, 2013 11:10 PM

You mean the lady that played the romantic lead in Thor? Or the one that's recently worked with Terrance Malick, and is about to work with Lynn Ramsey as the lead in her western and is also going to work with recent Academy Award winner Michel Hazanavicius?
Also, ain't nobody is forcing you to watch Jessica Chastain movies, and it's not even like the tabloids are covering Jessica Chastain. J Law, yes a little, but mostly they are covering people like Kim Kardashian and that LeAnn Rimes.
Net | February 11, 2013 10:19 AMReply

"Insider source".... so much bullshit.
Alicia | February 11, 2013 9:34 AMReply

The National Enquirer makes up "actress feuding" stories on a weekly basis year round. It has nothing to do with Oscar season and everything to do with keeping bored housewives entertained. Jessica Chastain is going to find herself very busy if she decides to shoot down every erroneous story from that rag about her herself. It's their bread and butter. Just ignore them.
Jane | February 14, 2013 2:45 PM

Tabloids and I also think their readers, love to see women in catfights. If she is smart, she will shrug it off or as you said, she is going to have a hard time doing anything else but shooting down ignorant tabloid nonesense.