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  "path": "/celebrity/devil-wears-prada-2-boycott-racist-asian-character-backlash-racism",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-25T18:03:59.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "ITV I'm A Celeb winner 'awkwardly' crowned amid explosive fallout and 'car crash' grand finale",
    "Ant and Dec hailed for ‘finest moment of TV ever’ as they 'break character' during explosive row",
    "ITV I’m A Celeb viewers stunned as David Haye lashes out at Adam Thomas in live reunion clash",
    "copy of the Koran",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nThe Devil Wears Prada 2 is facing mounting backlash across East Asia, with some online users calling for a boycott of the highly anticipated sequel just days before its theatrical debut.\n\nThe controversy centres on a Chinese assistant character portrayed by Chinese-American actress Helen J Shen, whose brief appearance in a promotional clip has sparked accusations of racial stereotyping.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n20th Century Studios uploaded the footage to its social media channels on April 16, triggering an immediate wave of criticism that has since been viewed millions of times.\n\nThe film, which reunites Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, is set for release on May 1.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nCritics have taken aim at multiple aspects of the character’s depiction.\n\nSeveral social media users argue that her name sounds phonetically similar to a historically racist term once used in Western countries to demean Chinese immigrant workers during the 19th century.\n\nHong Kong’s Oriental Daily News, as reported by The Korea Herald, described the phrase as “a symbolic racist slur” that conveys “contempt and discomfort towards Chinese accents and intonation”.\n\nThe character’s styling has also drawn criticism.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nIn the clip, she wears a buttoned-up striped shirt with a checked skirt and spectacles while listing her Yale education and 3.86 grade point average.\n\nThis is a portrayal many have labelled a tired “nerdy bookworm” trope.\n\nPosts accusing the filmmakers of “blatant anti-Asian racism” have circulated widely across social media platforms.\n\n“Child-like dress, glasses, overqualified, Ivy League credentials and at top of her game yet obsequious and insecure of her competency: these are not Asian American stereotypes, they’re white women’s fantasies,” one user wrote on X.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * ITV I'm A Celeb winner 'awkwardly' crowned amid explosive fallout and 'car crash' grand finale\n  * Ant and Dec hailed for ‘finest moment of TV ever’ as they 'break character' during explosive row\n  * ITV I’m A Celeb viewers stunned as David Haye lashes out at Adam Thomas in live reunion clash\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nAnother described the portrayal as “stereotype-riddled discrimination: an awkward Asian woman who’s a bespectacled, communication-impaired type who, upon first meeting, immediately starts bragging about her Yale degree and GPA”.\n\n“Hollywood is so out of touch it’s embarrassing. It’s 2026 and THIS is your Asian rep? The name, styling, whole look. Lazy stereotypes,” a third added.\n\nSome observers have pointed to a disconnect between the film’s marketing and its on-screen representation.\n\nThe studio enlisted K-pop star Ms Jang Won Young of Ive for promotional material alongside Ms Streep and Ms Hathaway, despite criticism of what some describe as an “understated, stereotypical Asian character” in the film itself.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSouth Korean-American director Mr Joseph Kahn offered a contrasting view, arguing the character’s outfit is “actually very couture in a film about fashion”.\n\nWriting on X, he suggested the portrayal reflects “typical Gen Z neurodivergency” rather than an Asian stereotype.\n\nGB has contacted 20th Century Studios for comment.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe controversy comes days after Ms Hathaway was handed a copy of the Koran at the film’s London premiere following backlash over her use of the phrase “Inshallah” in an interview.\n\nFootage of the exchange quickly went viral, with social media users divided over the gesture.\n\nSome praised the moment as “wholesome”, while others criticised the actress, accusing her of being out of touch.\n\nMs Hathaway had used the phrase, meaning “God willing”, while discussing her hopes for the future.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Devil Wears Prada 2 hit by boycott calls over ‘racist’ Asian character backlash: 'Lazy stereotypes!'"
}