Justin Theroux says his feelings were hurt over Zoolander 2 boycott petition

The writer said the anger is being misdirected
Upsetting: Justin Theroux talks Zoolander 2
Andrew Toth/Getty
Emma Powell8 December 2015
The Weekender

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Justin Theroux has spoken out about the controversy surrounding his latest film, Zoolander 2.

The screenplay – penned by Theroux – sees Benedict Cumberbatch play a transgender model named ‘All’.

The character sparked controversy in the trailer and a petition to boycott the film was launched and has since amassed 21,000 signatures.

“I don’t even know what to make of it, because it hurts my feelings in a way,” Theroux said to The Wrap. “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.”

Speaking about Tropic Thunder – which sees Ben Stiller’s character Tugg Speedman referred to as a “retard” – Theroux said: “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. 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 is slated for release on February 12, 2016.

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