Rebel Wilson is doubling down on her claim that she's 'the first-ever plus-sized girl' to lead a rom-com even though Queen Latifah did it first

pulse

November 2, 2018 4:36 PM

Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Nikki Blonsky starred in romantic comedies more than a decade before Rebel Wilson.

Rebel Wilson doubled-down on her claim that she's the first plus-sized woman to lead a romantic comedy.
She isn't. Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Nikki Blonsky starred in romantic comedies more than a decade ago.
Wilson is being accused of dismissing Queen Latifah and Mo'Nique because they're black.

Rebel Wilson is being criticized for claiming she's the first plus-sized woman to lead a romantic comedy while promoting her Valentine's Day film "Isn't It Romantic" on "The Ellen Degeneres Show."

She isn't.

"I'm proud to be the first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy," she told Ellen Thursday.

While it's great that a major studio like Warner Bros. is subverting norms when it comes to what kinds of women can star in its movies, Wilson is wrong. As many people pointed out on Twitter, Queen Latifah (2006's "Last Holiday" and 2010's "Just Wright"), Mo'Nique (2006's "Phat Girlz"), and Nikki Blonsky (2007's "Hairspray," a role originally played by Ricki Lake in the 198 version) all starred in romantic comedies before her.

When people pointed to their careers, Wilson doubled down. She said she was familiar with the other movies, but said it was debatable whether the actresses were plus-sized while making their movies, or that they didn't count because they weren't marketed as the sole lead.

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