Full Breakdown
Conservative Backlash Over Resurfaced 2018 Speech
7/27/2026, 9:03:31 PM
Context: The Odyssey and Hathaway’s 2018 Remarks
Anne Hathaway, 43, stars as Penelope in Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey*, which the piece reports has earned $286.3 million in the United States after two weeks and nearly $640 million worldwide. At the film’s London premiere on July 6, Hathaway referenced a 2018 speech she delivered after receiving the Human Rights Campaign’s National Ally for Equality Award. In that address she said “It is important to acknowledge with the exception of being a cisgender male, everything about how I was born has put me at the current center of a damaging and widely accepted myth,” — Anne Hathaway, at The Odyssey world premiere in London on July 6 and added “This myth is wrong. But this myth is too real for too many... It is a habit, so it’s assumed to be the way things are.” — Anne Hathaway, at The Odyssey world premiere in London on July 6.
Official Reactions
Conservative radio host Buck Sexton described the resurfaced clip as “narcissistic and deluded,” arguing it reflects a “self-righteous lecture” with no personal sacrifice. Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren echoed the criticism, calling the speech “self-serving” and questioning its value. Elon Musk entered the debate, stating “She’s just reading the script someone else wrote. No critical thinking is happening here at all.” — Elon Musk and noting that Nolan’s film had been “desecrated” and that he was using AI to produce a historically accurate version before year-end.
Viewership and Box-Office Data
An X account identified as Her Tribe Vibe posted the eight-year-old clip, labeling it a “new speech” and a “lie” about gender as a social construct. The post has been viewed almost 3 million times, far surpassing the full speech’s YouTube count of just over 30 000 views, according to the article.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It is important to acknowledge with the exception of being a cisgender male, everything about how I was born has put me at the current center of a damaging and widely accepted myth,” — Anne Hathaway, at The Odyssey world premiere in London on July 6
- “This myth is wrong. But this myth is too real for too many... It is a habit, so it’s assumed to be the way things are.” — Anne Hathaway, at The Odyssey world premiere in London on July 6
- “She’s just reading the script someone else wrote. No critical thinking is happening here at all.” — Elon Musk
