Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at Timothée Chalamet‘s ongoing opera and ballet drama, suggesting Friday that there may be such a thing as “bad publicity.”
During his acceptance speech at the 2026 ICG Publicists Awards, the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host weighed in on the viral controversy, in which Chalamet faced backlash for claiming “no one cares” about the aforementioned art forms.
“Publicists have a very difficult job, especially when your clients have strong opinions about opera and ballet,” the comedian noted while accepting the President’s Award at the ceremony held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Friday.
He continued: “Remember when they used to say, ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity?’ That was a lot of Kanyes and Diddys ago.”
For those who haven’t followed the drama, an out-of-context clip of Chalamet went viral last week when it showed the actor ripping on ballet and opera. “I don’t wanna be working in ballet or opera or, you know, things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive even though it’s like, no one cares about this thing anymore,’” Chalamet said during last month’s Variety and CNN town hall. “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership, but um, yeah, I just took shots for no reason.”
After Chalamet’s comment started to make the rounds on social media, several opera houses, ballet companies, singers, dancers and other celebrities (including Jamie Lee Curtis and Nathan Lane) spoke out and condemned the “Marty Supreme” actor for his disparaging remarks.
In fact, the Royal Ballet and Opera even wrote in response: “Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation — they have continually informed, inspired, and elevated other art forms. Their influence can be felt across theatre, film, contemporary music, fashion and beyond. For centuries, these disciplines have shaped the way artists create and audiences experience culture and today millions of people around the world continue to enjoy and engage with them.”
Though, many others came to Chalamet’s defense in the wake of the controversy, including the New York Times, which published an opinion piece titled, “Timothée Chalamet Has a Point About Ballet.”
Chalamet has yet to officially release a statement on the drama, despite it raging on.
Kimmel didn’t just poke fun at Chalamet, however, as the TV personality also roasted President Donald Trump and the ICG Publicists Awards themselves — quipping the industry event needed a publicist to raise awareness.
Watch Kimmel’s acceptance speech above.
