In a recent turn of events, Jenna Ortega’s latest film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ has become the center of a heated online controversy. Outrage erupted across the internet following the release of an explicit love scene featuring the 21-year-old actress and her 52-year-old co-star, Martin Freeman.
The explicit scene has drawn criticism primarily due to the significant 31-year age gap between the lead actors. In the film, Ortega plays the role of 18-year-old student Cairo, while Freeman portrays her teacher, Jonathan Miller. The controversial relationship unfolds as Cairo decides to create a provocative story during Miller’s creative writing class.
Audiences have not held back in expressing their disapproval, particularly concerning the perceived troubling age difference. Twitter users flooded the platform with comments branding the movie as ‘gross’ and condemning the explicit scenes.
One tweet read, “MARTIN FREEMAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO JENNA ORTEGA!” Another user expressed their discomfort, saying, “Martin Freeman, is 52 and Jenna is 21. Idk the content of the video, but you people make me sick.”
The controversial nature of the film prompted a strong reaction from viewers, with some declaring their decision to avoid age-gap movies altogether. Critics of the movie have also emerged, with ‘Miller’s Girl’ receiving a mere 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it a slightly higher 45% score.
Jenna Ortega herself acknowledged the ‘riskiness’ of the film’s subject, admitting to being taken aback by her character’s portrayal. Despite emphasizing the importance of artists taking risks, she acknowledged the challenging nature of the role. “I remember being so taken aback by Cairo because what I have experienced in my career and I think a lot of young girls can say the same,” she stated.
This controversy follows Ortega’s recent success at award shows for her role as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s ‘Wednesday,’ where she received nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmys, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her leading role in the series awaiting its sequel.
