Actress Julia Fox is under fire after a viral clip shows her cutting off Marlon Wayans mid-thought as he tries to define what makes a “real man.”
Social media quickly exploded, with fans blasting Kanye West’s ex for missing the point entirely, while some praised Wayans for keeping his cool. The clip has gone viral, leaving celebrity watchers debating respect, patience, and just how chaotic Fox can be on camera.
During a BAFTA interview promoting their new film, “HIM,” the question of what constitutes a “real man” was posed. Before Wayans could finish his answer, Fox interjected.
“I think the youth need to hear what a real man is. There’s masculinity…” Wayans began, before Fox cut in with a condescending, “But what are real men?”
As Wayans paused before he continued, “To me, a real man is a responsible man,” Fox interrupted again, saying, “’Cause every time a man does some f**k sh-t, they’ll be like, ‘That’s not a real man!’ And it’s like, ‘Looks like a man to me!’”
After allowing her to finish, Wayans attempted to add, “I think a real man is in touch with his feminine side,” but was again cut off by Fox: “Looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck.”
Trying to conclude his thought, Wayans said, “I think a real man knows how to unstrap from his ego,” to which Fox responded, “I think the ‘real man’ thing is just the thing that people invented to excuse bad behavior. Like, all men are real men.”
Wayans replied with a smirk and playful jab to her side, “Said like a real man!”
Possibly sensing the tension, “HIM” co-star Tyriq Withers jumped in to share his perspective. “I think there’s this false narrative of what real men do. It’s tied into privilege and masculinity, and exploring that in films is important because we’re raising these young boys to be men.”
Notably, Withers was able to offer his thoughts without being interrupted by Fox.
The clip has sparked debate online, with some viewers questioning whether Fox has personal issues with Wayans or if the moment was an example of what critics call “white feminism” caught on camera.
“He handled that so well. She didn’t get what she was looking for there,” said one follower of @BlackCultureNews, who shared the clip.
Another user commented, “She over-talked Marlon but let Tyriq speak. Her micro-aggressive [behavior] is showing.”
One follower echoed this sentiment: “This is peak white feminism. He was making a good point — and speaking in the language of people who need to hear it — and she interrupted him to prove nothing.”
“A real man lets a woman interrupt him continually in an interview without clapping back… Well done, Marlon,” another person wrote, praising Wayans for his composure.
Others were more blunt. “Why she keep cutting him off? Why don’t women understand this…” In contrast, another said, “I have never seen this happen. I love it. The amount of times I‘m interrupted by men. She did with no hesitation 2 times.”
Fox’s outspoken views often intersect with her high-profile relationships, both public and private. On her former podcast, Forbidden Fruits, she frequently discussed her dating history, including flings with rappers Drake and Kanye West.
“We really listening to Kanye’s exes about ‘real men’?” said one person after viewing Fox and Wayans’ interaction.
Following her February 2020 divorce from private pilot Peter Artemiev, the father of her son Valentino, Fox was rumored to have had a tryst with Drake. She briefly referenced their relationship on an episode of Forbidden Fruits:
“Like, I wouldn’t say that we were dating,” she stated. “[Drake is] a great guy and a gentleman, and that was it. Nothing really happened. We were just, like, friends hanging out.”
In January 2023, Fox offered more hints about her time with the Canadian rapper during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
When a viewer asked about the best celebrity date she had ever been on, she coyly replied, “Being on a private jet, cuddled on the jet, landed, got some Chanel bags… It was great, yeah.” When Cohen pressed her, asking if the date was with Drake, she responded, “Maybe, shouldn’t have given me that shot.”
Julia Fox opens up about her best date with a celebrity & teases that it was with rapper Drake. #WWHL pic.twitter.com/wXqq5cWm8O
— Watch What Happens Live! (@BravoWWHL) January 5, 2023
Though she didn’t confirm the seriousness of her time with Drake, Fox seemed more enamored with her brief relationship with Kanye West.
The two were first spotted on a night out at New York City’s Carbone on Jan. 1, 2022, shortly after West’s split from his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
After their denim-clad date made headlines, Fox told reporters she and the rapper were “having fun” and “getting to know each other.” Days later, on January 6, she shared a detailed account of their first date with Interview Magazine.
“His energy is so fun to be around. He had me and my friends laughing, dancing, and smiling all night,” Fox said, describing how the rapper surprised her with a hotel room full of new clothes. “I’m still in shock. Ye had an entire hotel suite full of clothes. It was every girl’s dream come true. It felt like a real Cinderella moment. I don’t know how he did it, or how he got all of it there in time. But I was so surprised. Like, who does things like this on a second date? Or any date!”
