Martin Freeman and Jenna Ortega’s film, Miller’s Girl, has unveiled its first trailer, and it appears the film will explore some disturbing themes. However, the more disturbing past of Freeman resurfaces once again on the Internet. The Sherlock actor has displayed a consistent pattern of making offensive comments, leading to controversy. One X user shared all the horrible comments made by Freeman, questioning why he continues to get work.
Freeman’s first noticeable work was as the lead in The Office U.K., followed by roles in The Hobbit trilogy and Sherlock. He later took on a supporting role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Through his roles, Freeman has created the image of a funny, adorable, and delightfully sarcastic guy.
Martin Freeman’s Controversial Past Resurfaces Ahead Of New Movie’s Release
One X user, who goes by @lynchinist, brought up Martin Freeman’s controversial past comments upon the release of his new movie trailer. The user called him racist, misogynist, homophobic, islamophobic, a r*pe apologist, and someone who hits his children. He shared that he had no idea how the actor still got work after such comments. He also added screenshots of news articles where Freeman’s controversial comments made headlines.
a reminder that Martin Freeman is a racist misogynistic homophobe, a rape apologist, a classist islamphobic who hits his children. and yet he’s still employed https://t.co/wvcdSGJHfs
— max (@lynchinist) December 13, 2023
— max (@lynchinist) December 13, 2023
The user’s screenshots include his 2008 interview with Daily Mail, where Freeman made some insensitive and racist comments. The Love Actually actor shared that multiculturalism tends to polarize people and added that acknowledging differences is normal and should be encouraged. He also affirmed that he did not agree with racism. Freeman shared with Daily Mail:
“Multiculturalism hasn’t and doesn’t help because, rightly or wrongly, it polarises people so much. Racism is one thing, and I don’t agree with that in any form, but noticing that there are differences is normal and fine and should be encouraged.”
He made the situation even worse by making flat-out Islamophobic comments, saying, “We’ve reached a state now where it’s, ‘You shouldn’t notice. Why are you noticing he’s got a bomb and has a beard and is Muslim and wants to kill your family?’ There is no country in the world like this.” However, Freeman’s next comments about the music industry took a sharp and offensive turn, as he continuously used a racial slur while discussing the moral dilemma in the hip-hop industry.
The screenshots also included Freeman’s ‘date r*pe’ joke during an interview about The Hobbit. Other clippings also included his comments about hitting his children and his homophobic comments about Hollywood actors.
Fans Were Shocked By Martin Freeman’s Comments
Most fan reactions mentioned that they were not aware of the Ode to Joy actor’s racist side. One fan mentioned that they always thought Freeman was unproblematic. Another fan also found the irony in Black Panther casting him as the token white boy despite his comments. Others also commented that he wouldn’t lose his job because of his English privilege. Some fan reactions read:
OMG WHAAT?! here i was thinking he was unproblematic- i mean i haven’t heard anything about him before
— َ (@popcultfilm) December 13, 2023
i had no idea omg thank you for sharing
— polly (@jackrippners) December 13, 2023
WHAT why does no one talk about this??
— fede (@septhisfede) December 13, 2023
and they made him the token white boy in black panther?! LIKE WTF
— Hanukkah Samuel 🕎⚡️🐍 (@lokiwhoreera) December 13, 2023
He’s a white male from England, of course he won’t lose his job
— bowie 🏳️⚧️🇵🇸 (@frostzenik) December 14, 2023
Interestingly, despite his conservative comments, Freeman is a supporter of the more liberal Labour Party and identifies himself as a socialist. Considering that his comments are quite dated, there is a possibility that his views have evolved. However, Freeman has never addressed his past comments nor offered any apologies for what he said. Therefore, the issue is likely to resurface in the future.
Miller’s Girl is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2024.
