Justine Bateman stated we are able to collectively breathe once more following Donald Trump’s re-election.
Decompressing from strolling on eggshells for the previous 4 years.
— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) November 8, 2024
What does that imply?
The actress-turned-filmmaker noticed the outcomes as a rebuke to these desperate to silence debate, assault free speech and make choose opinions untenable.
Even when the overwhelming majority of People maintain them.
That doesn’t imply she endorsed Trump, nor does she name herself conservative. She avoids political labels. She needs a free, sturdy return to free speech, American model.
That ought to be a bipartisan clarion name, however it’s not in 2024.
That explains why The Hollywood Reporter mischaracterized her interview with new media celebrity Megyn Kelly this week.
Bateman and Kelly explored a crush of subjects, together with free speech and the raging tradition wars. Bateman noticed the election outcomes as a dying knell for a “mob mentality momentum” that fueled Cancel Tradition and diminished inventive creativity throughout Hollywood.
Somebody even wrote a ebook about that.
“The final eight years, and most acutely final 4 years, had been f***ing insufferable. Insufferable. I by no means need to undergo something like that once more in my life. I really don’t. It was probably the most un-American state of affairs I’ve ever been in. And I’m 58.”
The Hollywood Reporter famous the dialog in query. And, very like the location unfairly maligned conservative actor Nick Searcy earlier this yr, they did one thing just like Bateman.
Think about the story’s unique subhead:
“Bateman is a well known supporter of Donald Trump and ceaselessly speaks out towards these in Hollywood who criticize her for expressing her conservative views.”
The journal made that sentence up out of complete fabric. Bateman isn’t a Trump supporter. Neither is she a conservative. She’s aggressively apolitical.
This isn’t an obscure blogger weighing in with false info. The Hollywood Reporter, together with Selection, are thought of the dueling bibles of the leisure area.
And THR bought the story unsuitable. Bateman used her X perch to name them out.
.@zoegphillips @THR, what are you doing?
Your evaluation of me on this article is wildly inaccurate. I’ve at all times have relationship with THR, together with interviews with Lesley Goldberg @Snoodit and Daniel Feinberg @TheFienPrint, and others there anytime they’ve requested… https://t.co/IYDCDqP1WB— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) December 19, 2024
To THR’s credit score, the location up to date the story and eliminated the inaccurate info. It even included an editor’s observe, though it didn’t totally deal with the problems with the unique reportage.
Up to date Wednesday, Dec. 18, 11:06 p.m.: An earlier model of this story reported that Bateman is a supporter of Trump. She has not shared assist for any presidential candidate within the 2024 election.
Why would the location make such a obtrusive mistake? Two prospects.
Blame Trump Derangement Syndrome.
The creator’s rage towards all issues Trump noticed Bateman’s feedback as unabashedly pro-Trump despite the fact that she’s been clear in public statements that she’s hasn’t endorsed Trump or another politician.
The opposite chance?
The positioning’s lack of mental variety meant no editor may cease the story from going or shortly retract it with out Bateman’s intervention.
There’s a 3rd, extra cynical possibility in play. The positioning needed to tar Bateman as a MAGA activist to decrease her within the eyes of her Hollywood friends.
We’ll by no means know the ultimate reply, however it’s an indication that Bateman is wanting ahead whereas THR is caught previously.