By Selome Hailu
Plus IconSelome Hailu
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Getty Images for The Museum of M Lupita Nyong’o is addressing the backlash to her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey.”
Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy, the Greek mythological character who was thought of as the most beautiful woman in the world and is often referred to as “the face that launched 1,000 ships” because her marriage to Paris of Troy kickstarted the Trojan War. Nyong’o’s casting has sparked racist backlash, with commentators like Matt Walsh saying that “not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world'” and that Nolan was a “coward” for choosing her instead of a white woman. Elon Musk concurred, saying Nolan cast Nyong’o because he “wants the awards.”
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