Teyana Taylor is officially a Golden Globe nominee, but many are divided on whether or not the feat is worthy of celebration.
The performer shared her reaction to the nod with The Hollywood Reporter, telling the outlet, “Experiencing this at five o’clock in the morning, it’s a thing like, ‘Oh my God, am I dreaming right now?’ ‘Am I going to wake up?… I’m definitely overjoyed and overwhelmed in the best way.”
Her performance in the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed “One Battle After Another” earned Taylor a nod in the “Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture” category alongside actresses Emily Blunt, Elle Fanning, Ariana Grande, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Amy Madigan on Dec. 8.
Taylor plays Perfidia Beverly Hills, a mother and member of the French 75, a group of resistance fighters who free people from migrant camps. She commands the screen alongside Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Bob “Pat” Ferguson and Sean Penn, who portrays Captain Steven J. Lockjaw, a colonel enmeshed in an entanglement with Perfidia.
The dystopian-action flick’s plot is anchored around Pat trying to find his and Perfidia’s daughter, Willa, played by acting newcomer Chase Infiniti. The movie is a satirical take on the book “Vineland” from author Thomas Pynchon.
Teyana Taylor's role in One Battle After Another reminded me of Halle Berry’s in Monsters Ball. Cause why do they have to do that in order to be nominated? It's like a weird obsession. I’ll wish she was nominated for A thousand and one than this. pic.twitter.com/UOYWUrJntc
— Kailah Nyota (@Kailah_Uhura) December 8, 2025
Taylor’s on-screen romance scenes with DiCaprio and Penn drew criticism from fans. Their furor was renewed amid frustrations toward “Sinners” actress Wunmi Mosaku’s snub in the supporting actress category.
“Wunmi Mosaku was snubbed for her role as Annie in Sinners, a role that honored the beauty and strength of African MatriarchyI… ok OK OK OK But Teyana Taylor received a nod for her role in OBAA, a film Black women HATED. No shade to Teyana at all But CMON MAN,” one movie critic on Threads.
In one scene, in particular, Perfidia (Taylor) and Pat (DiCaprio) share a romp as a bomb placed in a federal building ticks down.
Taylor’s Golden Globe nod has reignited conversations about women winning awards for sensual or provocative movie roles.
However, fans are quick to point out that fans were more excited about the singer’s June album, “Escape,” instead of watching Taylor’s lead role in “One Battle After Another.”
“There was so much criticism of that role. More Black women were excited about Teyana’s album visuals than that movie role,” remarked one person on Threads.
Others drew comparisons to Halle Berry, who won Best Actress at the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony, the only Black woman to win this award. “It’s Halle Berry and Monster Ball all over again,” said another.
“Look at what they gave Halle the Oscar for,” noted a third.
The conversation carried over onto X, where one user alleged that Taylor’s character much like Halle Berry’s in “Monster’s Ball,” felt like a “minstrel show” and “grotesque.”
Halle Berry debunks long-standing rumor about 'Monster's Ball' sex scene with Billy Bob Thornton. On 'Armchair Expert' podcast, Berry says explicit scene led to false rumors of real-life affair: 'It's just not true.' Actress admits rumor has 'secretly driven me mad all these… pic.twitter.com/Lrhqfwa0KQ
— Matthew Hernandez (@zildcis03) October 9, 2024
A second X user wondered, “Why do they have to do that in order to be nominated? It’s like a weird obsession. I’ll wish she was nominated for A thousand and one than this,” adding a reference to Taylor’s other award-winning film.
Coming to both women’s defense, one Facebook user wrote, “People look for any reason to bash black women. That’s all that is. Anyone that saw the movie saw that she did more than a sex scene. But reduce her to just that, right? Because that’s all we are. I didn’t even like Monster’s Ball and I know her performance was raw, nuanced, heartbreaking, and more than just a sex scene, smh.”
Berry starred opposite Billy Bob Thornton in “Monster’s Ball.” Their love scene sparked two decades of rumors that their on-screen romp was not acting. She denied the claims in 2024.
Halle Berry & Billy Bob Thornton (Monster’s Ball)
— Ariadna Jacob (@littlemissjacob) December 27, 2024
The explicit nature of their scene made waves, but both actors defended it as critical to the story. Berry later won an Oscar for her performance.
Aftermath: Instead of controversy, the scene became a talking point for raw… pic.twitter.com/rFsWf6rDz5
A critic of Taylor shared, “I couldn’t even watch OBBA, bc why did they write her character that way? I didn’t even get 15 mins and turned it off bc it was so nasty and vulgar in a repulsive way.”
“I knew this would happen to Wumni and I’m mystified as Sinners is one of the highest grossing original films in a very long time and it had a massive impact. She was amazing, this is a mistake,” said a fan of Coogler’s film.
“Sinners” earned a total of seven Golden Globe nods, including nominations for director Ryan Coogler and lead actor Michael B. Jordan. “One Battle After Another” earned a total of six. Both movies are expected to be contenders for major categories at the Oscars, whose nominations will be revealed on January 22, 2026.
