Netflix is SLAMMED for ‘sexualizing’ actor Charles Melton in Instagram post promoting new Mary Kay Letourneau-inspired movie May December – in which he plays young man who was ‘groomed’ and ‘sexually abused’ at 13
- Netflix found itself in hot water after sharing a promotion for May December
- The film follows a woman who started dating a guy when he was only 13 years old
- People felt it was ‘inappropriate’ for Netflix to swoon over Charles’ looks in the ad
Netflix is being slammed for ‘sexualizing’ Charles Melton’s character in a promotional video for a movie that focuses on a man who was ‘groomed’ and ‘sexually abused’ as a 13-year-old.
The streaming service found itself in hot water after it posted a now-deleted ad for its new flick May December to Instagram earlier this week, which is about a woman who was caught sleeping with Charles’s character when he was only 13 years old.
The company shared a still from the film that showed Charles standing shirtless with his abs on full display, while writing: ‘*Stares in awe.* May December, now streaming.’
But some people felt the post was ‘inappropriate’ and ‘weird,’ and bashed Netflix for joking about the actor’s good looks while marketing the film — considering the serious nature of its plot.
Netflix is being slammed for ‘sexualizing’ Charles Melton’s character in an ad for a movie that focuses on a man who was ‘groomed’ and ‘sexually abused’ from age 13. Pictured in the film
The streaming service found itself in hot water after it posted a promotion for its new flick May December to Instagram by sharing a shirtless picture of Charles and writing: ‘*Stares in awe*’
The movie follows a TV star named Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) who is going to portray a woman named Gracie (Julianne Moore) in a new film
The movie follows a TV star named Elizabeth (played by Natalie Portman) who ‘heads to Savannah, Georgia, to research a part in a new film that follows a scandalous tabloid romance.’
She is going to play a woman named Gracie (portrayed by Julianne Moore), who was previously jailed after it was revealed that she had sex with one of her son’s schoolmates, named Joe, when she was 36 years old and he was only 13.
Gracie was previously jailed after she was caught having sex with one of her son’s schoolmates, Joe (played by Charles), when she was 36 years old and he was only 13. Natalie and Julianne are seen in the film
‘When she was released, the pair were married, and they now have three children together who are about to graduate from high school,’ Netflix’s description reads.
‘At first glance, their untraditional marriage looks more predictable than Elizabeth expected.
‘But soon, her observation brings long-dormant feelings to the surface, and the decades-old scandal reveals deeper and deeper layers.’
Due to the concerning subject matter, the internet was not amused when Netflix posted the snap of Charles and swooned over him in the caption.
The streaming service has since taken it down, but many have reposted screenshots of it to X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘You’re sexualizing a character that was emotionally manipulated and sexually abused. This is bulls**t,’ one person tweeted.
Some people felt it was ‘inappropriate’ and ‘weird’ for Netflix to joke about the actor’s good looks in its marketing for the film considering the serious nature of the plot
‘This isn’t right. Given the subject matter, Netflix should not be sexualizing any of these characters, especially Joe,’ one person wrote in a scathing critique
‘This isn’t right. Given the subject matter, Netflix should not be sexualizing any of these characters, especially Joe,’ someone else wrote in a scathing critique.
Another user added: ‘May December is about the emotionally stunted adult who was groomed at the age of 13, Netflix should not be promoting the movie by sexualizing this character.’
‘I’m begging @Netflix to get social media people who actually watch the movies and stop sexualizing every single male that appears,’ a fourth post read.
A fifth said: ‘It’s just so f***ing weird and inappropriate.’
‘It’s not a cute look for Netflix,’ a different user wrote.
The movie, while fiction, was inspired by the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau – a teacher who had an affair with one of her sixth-grade students, named Vili Fualaau, in 1996
Mary Kay (seen at her trial) pleaded guilty to felony second-degree rape of a child. After she got out of jail, she and Vili married and welcomed two kids together, but they split in 2019
Someone else said: ‘Yikes, way to read the f***ing room, Netflix.’
The movie, while fiction, was inspired by the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau — a teacher who had an affair with one of her sixth-grade students, named Vili Fualaau, in 1996 — according to Variety.
Mary Kay pleaded guilty to felony second-degree rape of a child and served three months behind bars.
But when she continued to speak to Vili despite a court telling her she wasn’t allowed to, she received another six-year prison sentence.
The two went on to tie the knot and welcome two kids together, and were together for more than two decades before they eventually split in 2019.
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