Jimmy Fallon under fire for term used to greet trans actress Hunter Schafer in resurfaced clip
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
Television host Jimmy Fallon has found himself in hot water this week, after a clip of him giving transgender actress Hunter Schafer a controversial nickname resurfaced online.
The Euphoria star, 26, appeared on Fallon's much-loved talk-show back in 2023, in a bid to promote her latest professional project, the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
During the interview, following some casual chit-chat, the presenter brought up Schafer's appearance in the sci-fi hit, in which she played Tigris Snow alongside the likes of Tom Blythe, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage and Viola Davis.
At the time, comedy star Fallon, 51, began the discussion by pulling out a snap of Schafer as a youngster, prior to her gender transition, in which she could be seen wearing a costume inspired by the dystopian book series.
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Comparing the decades old photo to a promotional image for the film showing the actress in her Tigris role, a smiling Fallon gushed: "This is really cool! Now you’re in Hunger Games! Look at you, congratulations, bud."
Whilst one might see no fault in the comedian's phrasing - being that 'bud' is an informal shortening of 'buddy', which itself is usually used to describe a friend or acquaintance - the term is, traditionally, of a masculine nature.
Despite the clip first airing over two years ago, after the talk-show's official TikTok account, @fallontonight reposted the interview over the weekend, some viewers have been left disappointed by the terminology used by the host.
"Addressing someone as 'buddy' is absolutely male-coded and something dudes call other dudes," one viewer explained on X (formerly Twitter).
"I’ve seen plenty of transphobic guys maliciously call trans women 'buddy' or 'bud' here on Reddit in an attempt to be subtle in their misgendering."
A second questioned: "Have you ever heard someone say 'thanks buddy' to a female stranger? I haven’t. It’s gendered [but] not necessarily maliciously so."
Others, however, have since attempted to defend the star, claiming he often addresses female guests in this casual manner.
"People angry at Fallon for calling her ‘bud’, but that’s just how he talks to women..." one claimed in response to the backlash. "And your outrage at this sort of thing makes it harder, not easier, for trans women to reach these kinds of platforms because the industry just decides it’s not worth it."
Another agreed, adding: "He’s literally called Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande (two cisgender women) ‘bud’ before and this is no different??? I would get it if Hunter was uncomfortable but she [didn’t care]."
"I’m trans and I didn’t even notice that he said ‘bud’ until people started pointing it out," a third admitted. "This is such a nothing situation."