(Scypre.com) – Several family members of the renowned conductor Leonard Bernstein have come forward to support actor Bradley Cooper amid accusations of promoting offensive stereotypes against Jewish individuals.
Cooper faced criticism from certain users on social media following the release of the new trailer for the movie “Maestro” on Tuesday.
Several profiles, as detailed in a recent article by NBC News titled “Bradley Cooper accused of ‘Jewface’ due to prosthetic nose in Leonard Bernstein biopic ‘Maestro,'” launched their criticisms based on conjecture that Cooper was utilizing a “prosthetic nose.”
The article from NBC News highlighted the mounting backlash against Bradley Cooper for his apparent utilization of a prosthetic nose in his portrayal of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. The piece also referenced a social media post labeling the film as an instance of “Jewface.”
However, an account identifying itself as representing “Jamie, Alexander, and Nina Bernstein” commended Cooper for involving “the three of us throughout his incredible journey in making the film about our father.”
“We find it saddening to witness any distortions or misconceptions about his sincere efforts,” the statement conveyed.
The statement also appeared to address the controversy surrounding Cooper’s depiction of Leonard Bernstein in the movie. “It is a fact that Leonard Bernstein had a distinctive, prominent nose,” the statement continued. “Bradley opted to use makeup to accentuate his resemblance, and we are fully supportive of this choice. We are also confident that our father would have embraced it.” The family refuted the “vociferous complaints” about Cooper’s physical portrayal in the film, characterizing them as “insincere endeavors to undermine a successful individual, a pattern we too frequently witnessed directed at our own father.”
Preceding the release of this statement on X, previously recognized as Twitter, NBC News incorporated data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that indicated “3,697 incidents of antisemitism across the United States, marking the highest tally recorded since the ADL commenced monitoring such incidents in 1979.” Additionally, NBC News quoted actress Sarah Silverman, a vocal critic of Hollywood’s tendency to have “non-Jewish actors often portray Jewish characters.”