Jane Campion Apologizes After Controversial Venus & Serena Williams Comments At Critics Choice Awards [Updated]

As “The Power of the Dog” continues to earn a ton of awards as it marches its way to what seems to be some more trophies at the Oscars, the discussion surrounding the film has less to do with the content of the feature and more to do with comments made by people surrounding the film. First, we saw Sam Elliott make ridiculous comments about the film and its view on Westerns. Then, there were the reactions from the cast and crew of the film about those comments. And now, Jane Campion finds herself in a bit of hot water after something she said at last night’s Critics Choice Awards.

During her acceptance speech for Best Director at the 2022 Critics Choice Awards, Jane Campion attempted to make a point about the lack of female representation in filmmaking. She did this with a comment about Venus and Serena Williams (who were in the crowd because of the film, “King Richard”). 

READ MORE: Jane Campion Calls Sam Elliott A “Bitch,” Claps Back At His “Misogyny” And “Homophobia”

“It’s absolutely stunning to be here tonight among so many incredible women,” Campion began.

She then turned her attention to the Williams sisters and said, “What an honor to be in the room with you. I’ve taken up tennis — I truly have — and Will [Smith], if you want to come over and give me lessons, I would truly love it. I actually had to stop playing because I’ve got tennis elbow. [Laughs]”

Campion added, “Venus and Serena, you’re such marvels. However, you don’t play against the guys, like I have to.”

Again, this is a comment that is nowhere near as gross and offensive as what Sam Elliott said about “The Power of the Dog.” However, what Campion said raised a few eyebrows, nonetheless. Of course, much like the beginning of her acceptance speech, there was a bit of a joking tone to her comments, but it mostly felt a bit cringe and odd for her to say that. This sort of comment is definitely a bit of a shot at the Williams sisters, who are often believed to be two of the best tennis players (regardless of gender) to have ever played the sport, with many 100% sure they would be able to win against many of their male counterparts.

At the end of the day, Campion clearly didn’t mean any sort of offense with her comments, and she was just caught up in the moment during her awards speech in front of the crowd. Campion is also a filmmaker who has consistently broken down barriers for women filmmakers during her career. She is the first female to ever win the Palme d’Or and the first female filmmaker to earn two Oscar nominations in the Best Director category. And she’s not wrong with thinking filmmaking is a male-dominated field, sadly.

Regardless, Campion is waking up today with a bit of controversy. We’ll have to see if anything happens between now and what is believed to be a big night for her and “The Power of the Dog” at the Oscars later this month.

You can watch her entire acceptance speech below:

Update: Campion has apologized in a statement.

 “I made a thoughtless comment equating what I do in the film world with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved. I did not intend to devalue these two legendary Black women and world-class athletes.”

Campion continued: “The fact is the Williams sisters have, actually, squared off against men on the court (and off), and they have both raised the bar and opened doors for what is possible for women in this world. The last thing I would ever want to do is minimize remarkable women. I love Serena and Venus. Their accomplishments are titanic and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologize and completely celebrate you.”