The Devil Wears Prada Sequel Faces Backlash Over Asian Character's Name

0:00On April 30, the Devil wears Prada, two-hit theaters in the United States this week, but it's already facing major backlash from Asian audiences. Over a side character's name, folks in China, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong are calling for boycotts because the name Jin Zhao sounds too much like the racist slur Ching Chong. Earlier this week, 20th Century Studios dropped a 38-second clip on social media highlighting the character, played by Helen Jaishan. She's the new assistant to Andy Sachs, bragging about her Yale degree with a 3.86 GPA, top ACT scores, and being lead soprano in an A.A. Kopella Group, social media exploded with criticism, slamming the name in the trope of a high-achieving but socially awkward Asian woman. Independent journalist Tanya Chen called it a lazy Hollywood stereotype that's been recycled forever. Even the Asian American Foundation chimed in, saying outdated tropes hurt real perceptions of Asian communities. These issues highlight bigger problems in Hollywood representation.

1:04Asian characters snag just 6% of leading film roles, 3.8% on broadcast TV, 3.2% of streaming leads, and under 2% on cable. As the movie rolls out amid this noise, it underscores how one small detail can spark global pushback and remind studios to rethink lazy shortcuts in. Storytelling, that wraps entertainment and celebrity news today. Brought to you with AI. I'm Corey with The Story.