Eva Mendes scorns Ryan Gosling’s Barbie critics after Oscar nomination

The ‘Training Day’ actor wrote: ‘So beyond proud to be this Ken’s Barbie.’

Eva Mendes has taken aim at critics who said her husband Ryan Gosling wasn’t the right choice to play Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

Earlier this week, Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his role in the hit blockbuster.

In response to the news, Mendes posted a series of screenshots to her Instagram page from a disparaging 2022 Rolling Stone article headlined: “Sorry to Be the One to Say It, but Ryan Gosling Is Giving Major Cringe as Ken in Barbie”.

In the caption, Mendes wrote: “So proud of my man. So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it.

“Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars.”

She added: “So beyond proud to be this Ken’s Barbie.”

Gosling himself issued a statement yesterday, responding to his Oscar nomination and also expressing his disappointment that the film’s director Greta Gerwig and star Margot Robbie were overlooked in their individual categories.

Gosling wrote: “I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films. And I never thought I’d being saying this, but I’m also incredibly honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken.

“But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film.

“No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius.

“To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.

“Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees.

“Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.”

Barbie was nominated for a total of eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design and for two original songs “I’m Just Ken” and “What Was I Made For?”.

Gerwig was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay along with her husband and co-writer, Noah Baumbach, while Robbie was nominated for Best Picture in her capacity as one of the film’s producers.