Ginny & Georgia faced the wrath of Taylor Swift on Twitter earlier this week, but the show’s star, Antonia Gentry, is till beyond grateful for what the series has given her. Amidst the backlash for sexist commentary about Taylor’s dating history, Antonia praised the show for giving her “reprieve” after years of feeling “voiceless.” The actress did not address Taylor or her fans directly, but did boldly stand up for the show and what it stands for.
“I never would have imagined something like this as a young girl — that is, having a voice capable of impact,” she wrote. “It is so meaningful to see hundreds of messages from fans in my inbox who feel seen, heard and understood because of the show and its characters. It has also been fun to hear from those who were just happy to be along for the entertaining ride. As someone who grew up feeling voiceless and unimportant, and who did not see herself reflected on-screen, Ginny Miller was finally a reprieve. Finally, a character who was just as confused and imperfect as I was gets a chance to exist.”
Ginny & Georgia premiered on Netflix at the end of February. Just days later, Taylor’s fans began flooding Twitter with complaints the following line from the show: “What do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.” Taylor caught wind of the reference and took to Twitter to share her disgust.
“Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back,” she wrote. “How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse s*** as fUNnY. Also, Netflix, after Miss Americana, this outfit doesn’t look cute on you. Happy Women’s History Month, I guess.”
Taylor’s loyal fans began re-posting the message with comments of support, but there were also many who took things too far. Many fans also began leaving hateful, uncalled for comments on Antonia’s page. Luckily, it seems that she’s been able to weed out the negativity to focus on the positive parts of being on this show.
“I am so delighted to work with talented, earnest and honest women who aren’t afraid of pulling back the curtain and exposing all of life’s intricacies — the good and the bad, all with a glass of wine in hand and a tongue in cheek,” she gushed. “To all of the people who have sent hundreds of messages about feeling seen for the first time, whether through Ginny or another character, thank you for your voices and inspiration.”
