The real reason Timothée fans are against Jenner

Emma Clarke, The Independent

Since the pair reportedly started dating back in April last year, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner have been the talk of the town (and the internet). And although they have kept things relatively low-key – or, perhaps, because they have been so private – people can’t get enough when they do catch a glimpse of their relationship.

Case in point: their latest PDA session at the Golden Globes. Despite not having walked the carpet together, the couple were still caught on camera having an intimate moment inside the venue (which, in case you haven’t viewed it at least a hundred times already this morning, involved “Kymothee” sharing a kiss, before seemingly uttering the words “I love you” to one other). The reaction to this exchange? Well, it’s been… mixed.

Some people are finally converted and agree their relationship goes beyond a publicity stunt, while others (like me) who already supported the duo, let out a gleeful squeal as they watched the brief clip. But more still, as they have done previously, let their disapproval be known – with Jenner bearing the brunt of it.

“Why is he going out in public with this blow-up doll?”, one person wrote. “I thought he had better taste than that,” added another.

Jenner’s fallen victim to even more salacious gossip from the event, with people lip-reading Selena Gomez’s chat with Taylor Swift and deciphering from the exchange that Kylie wouldn’t let the “Lose You to Love Me” singer take a snap with her boyfriend. While the make-up mogul is no stranger to scrutiny, having been on a reality TV show for most of her formative years and having nearly 400 million Instagram followers who watch her every move, this feels different. It’s not about her actions or her business choices, or even her goofing about with her sisters – it’s about her “not being good enough” for Chalamet, who, by contrast, is apparently a highly-intellectual, talented young man who is way out of her league.

Indeed, when the couple were first spotted in public together at a Beyoncé concert in September 2023, the backlash was fierce. British Vogue even went so far as to publish an article on the unlikely pairing.

“Does he hold her make-up brushes while she contours?,” the now-deleted post read. “Does she help him sift through Wes Anderson scripts? Does he give Stormi French lessons? And how did they end up together, anyway?” It’s disappointing to say the least. Regardless of whether you’re an avid KUWTK fan or you’re into indie cinema, there’s no denying the sexist undertones of these comments. What is so harmful about this dialogue is that it is mostly other women attacking her for being the “wrong” type of woman. She’s not “coded the same” as Chalamet and doesn’t resemble his fan base, so, therefore, isn’t worthy. I guess having hugely-successful businesses and being mega rich isn’t enough.

Well, I’ve got news for you: women can like make-up and fashion... and be intelligent. They can post pictures on social media and still care about things happening in the world. Women can be beautiful and still hold opinions. These things aren’t mutually exclusive – and I’m tired of this rhetoric around their relationship and the constant undermining of Jenner’s character. However much you may feel you know celebrities, you don’t. And to determine that Jenner is some bimbo who can’t hold her own in a conversation is just ridiculous and, quite frankly, misogynistic. Look how accomplished she is (and that’s just the start).