'The Deliverance' Director Lee Daniels Posts Glenn Close Memes Amid Casting Backlash
Lee called Glenn's 'The Deliverance' character "part of the fabric" of the Black community.
Published Sept. 3 2024, 12:36 p.m. ET
Director Lee Daniels's recent Instagram activity proves he's embracing the backlash he received for Glenn Close's character in his Netflix horror film, The Deliverance.
The Deliverance debuted on Labor Day weekend and has already been judged by the court of public opinion after Lee defended why he chose Glenn for the role.
Lee Daniels sparked social media discourse for casting Glenn Close in 'The Deliverance.'
Lee's movie premiered on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. The film starred Glenn as Andra Day's mother, Alberta, a white woman helping her biracial daughter raise her kids. Alberta is also in a relationship with a Black man named Melvin, played by Omar Epps. Before The Deliverance premiered, Lee said Glenn's character was integral to the movie, claiming viewers had never seen a white woman in an interracial relationship and a Black daughter on screen before.
"Every Black person knows an Alberta," Lee wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 27. "She's part of the fabric of our community, but we've never seen her on screen before. Thank you Glenn for bringing her magnificently to life."
Lee's post about Glenn caught the attention of many X users, including fashion designer Kashmir Thompson, who expressed her opinion about the casting choice on her X and Instagram accounts.
She expressed her frustration over Lee's post and his choice to cast Glenn as the grandmother when the story the film is based on involves a Black grandmother.
"This n---- added a white woman to a true story that did not involve a white woman, then said it’s because white women like her are part of the 'FABRIC OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY,' Kashmir wrote. "He is objectively worse than Tyler Perry. I’m sorry he is like if Tyler Perry and Kenya Barris had a baby."
Kashmir's post sparked many other users to express their grievances with Lee. However, the director stood by his casting choice and reposted some memes about him on his Instagram Stories. Meanwhile, Kashmir shared more posts supporting her comments about Lee, including how he told The Hollywood Reporter he changed Glenn's character to a white woman to highlight "what it's like to have a white mother and live in a Black girl's body."