Jane Campion raised eyebrows at the 2022 Critics Choice Awards with a painfully awkward joke comparing herself to Serena and Venus Williams.
While accepting Best Director for “The Power of the Dog” at Sunday’s ceremony, Campion went out of her way to note that she was competing against five men, a situation she claimed the Williams sisters would never find themselves in on the tennis court.
“I’d also just like to give my love out to my fellow — the guys, the nominees,” she said with a laugh, referring to Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”), Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”), Guillermo del Toro (“Nightmare Alley”), Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”) and Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”).
“And Serena and Venus, you are such marvels,” Campion continued. “However, you do not play against the guys like I have to.”
The cameras then cut to Venus, 41, who watched awkwardly from her seat. Serena, 40, seemed less bothered by the comment as she smiled and clapped with her hands in the air. (The sisters attended as guests of Will Smith, who played their dad in “King Richard.”)
Campion, 67, ended her speech by saying, “I’m like a grandmother of the women’s movement in film now. But I’m still here! Thank you!”
Critics flocked to social media to call out the director for what came off as a tone-deaf comment.
“jane taking time out of her best director speech to tell two Black women that she is more oppressed than them is PEAK white feminism,” actress Jodie Turner-Smith, who attended the event with husband Joshua Jackson, tweeted.
“Critic’s Choice: The winner is Jane Campion! Jane: Thank you. Now, let me attack Black women minding their own damn business,” one viewer tweeted.
“whew… the jane campion train truly short lived. white women really just come for black women unprovoked,” a second person wrote.
“Jane Campion really got on stage and decided to tear two Black women down for no f–king reason whatsoever,” a third agreed.
“What Jane Campion said in her speech was not funny or appropriate. It was racist. White people laughing, and thinking it was vaild shows why there’s still so many damb issues in this industry. They’re ok with the casual racism because they don’t see racism the way we do,” another tweeted.
There did not appear to be any hard feelings between the tennis pros and Campion, however, as they were spotted dancing together at an afterparty in photos posted to social media.
It is worth noting, though, that both Venus and Serena have won competitions against male athletes in the past.
Reps for Campion, Serena and Venus did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.