From Drake vs. Pusha T to Taylor Swift vs. Kim Kardashian, everyone loves a good celebrity feud—but if you’re hoping that anyone will have beef with Jessica Chastain, you’re out of luck.
Appearing on this month’s cover of The Hollywood Reporter, Chastain discussed everything from gender equality to the Kardashians. And when it came to Chastain’s own representation in the media, she was quick to shut down old rumors of a possible feud. “In 2012, there was some tabloid saying that, like, Jennifer Lawrence and I were in a feud, which was insane,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “She and I laughed about it. She came up to me and goes, ‘So I hear we’re feuding?’ I’ve never had a bad situation with women that I’ve worked with.”
I suspected nothing less of Lawrence and Chastain, since they’re both professionals and feminists. Plus, JLaw seems so laid-back that I’d find it hard to believe she would feud with anyone, especially another woman.
Tabloids and social media getting caught up in the idea of celebrity feuds is nothing new, but the obsession and widespread reporting on them actually probably has deeper (and problematic) roots. The Washington Post analyzed reactions to various celebrity feuds and noted that feuds and the comparisons made by fans are often born from sexism and racism.
So good on Chastain for laughing it off and letting people know that feuds are silly and often blown way out of proportion. Instead of trying to figure out if she’s got beef with anyone, I’m planning to focus on her commitment to gender equality instead.