Scarlett Johansson has been criticised for playing a trans man in her new film.
The actress is set to star in the upcoming film "Rub & Tug" which tells the story of a transgender man, Dante 'Tex' Gill, who owned a massage parlour in Pittsburgh's underground sex industry in the 1970s, according to Vice News, reports people.com
The backlash comes little over a year ago after Johansson found herself embroiled in controversy over Ghost in the Shell, in which she plays a Japanese woman in a white female android body.
In a statement obtained by Bustle, the actress said via her representative that "Tell them (trollers) they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman's representatives for comment."
Johansson's seemingly dismissive comment refers to three cis actors who won accolades for playing trans characters: Tambor in Transparent, Leto in Dallas Buyers Club, and Huffman in Transamerica.
Her response has new left people criticising her on Twitter.
Scarlett Johansson is hateful, selfish trash who has had harder opinions about being called "ScarJo" than accepting roles that she has no business taking.
And no, she's not a struggling actress so "everybody's gotta eat" doesn't (and never will) apply. Not even close. https://t.co/zO8vSb8yvc
— Shannon Miller (@Phunky_Brewster) July 3, 2018
Scarlett Johansson received considerable backlash for Ghost in the Shell, when she played a whitewashed Asian character. The movie tanked.
Undeterred, she has teamed up WITH THE SAME DIRECTOR to play a trans male character in Rub & Tug. When asked to comment, she said: pic.twitter.com/ftgGREncHa
— April (@ReignOfApril) July 3, 2018
On playing a trans man in her new film, Scarlett Johansson sounds dumb as hell pic.twitter.com/5ycags4iR8
— Ira (@ira) July 4, 2018
Johansson, 33, has been one of the world's highest paid actresses from 2014 to 2016. She has acted in popular films like "Just Not Into you", "Under This Skin", and "Hitchcock", but her recent choices like the unsuccessful "Ghost in the Shell' and now her controversial casting in "Rub & Tug," could send her career in a very different direction.