What Did Sydney Sweeney Ever Do to Carol Baum?

I don’t believe in calling people ugly and talentless for no reason but, if it weren’t for longtime Hollywood producer Carol Baum brutally and needlessly attacking Sydney Sweeney, I’d be writing about Anya Taylor-Joy walking around NYC or Zendaya wearing another tennis-themed dress. So, I don’t know what Sweeney did to you or your family Carol, but thanks for keeping things fun and catty.

“I don’t get Sydney Sweeney. I was watching [Anyone But You] on the plane…I wanted to know who she is and why everybody’s talking about her,” Baum recently told an audience at a fan screening of the 1988 film Dead Ringers, which she produced. If you couldn’t guess already, she hated the “unwatchable” movie.

“I said to my class, ‘Explain this girl to me. She’s not pretty, she can’t act. Why is she so hot?”’ she continued, according to the Daily Mail, referring to the production class she teaches at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. “Nobody had an answer but then the question was asked, ‘Well if you could get your movie made because she was in it, would you do it?'”

“Well that’s a really good question…that’s a very hard question to answer because we all want to get the movie made and who walks away from a green light? Nobody I know,” she said. “Your job is to get the movie made.” She went through all that to essentially say that sometimes we have to work with people we don’t like? Incredible.

I haven’t seen Anyone But You but it’s probably not the first Sweeney film I’d recommend to someone. (I’d personally start with Reality.) And ~art is subjective~ so I understand not thinking someone’s talented, but arguing that one of the most conventionally attractive stars of today is not conventionally attractive? It just sounds like Carol has a grudge. Who knows, maybe Sweeney refused to be in one of Carol’s movies and then spit in her face and insulted her family.

Whatever the reason, I really hope (for Sydney’s sake) no one ever tells Baum about Madame Web.

• Here’s Zendaya‘s latest tennis-themed look. [Daily Mail]
• And here’s Anya Taylor-Joy walking around NYC with her husband Malcolm McRae. [Daily Mail]
• Lana Del Rey called out her “tour manager of 15 years” who recently “quit for no reason” on Instagram. Dying to learn more. [Pop Crave]
• Olivia Munn talked to People about her “terrifying” breast cancer diagnosis. Wishing her health and recovery! [People]
• Christina Applegate said she was offered a spot on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills a decade ago. [Page Six]
• Crazy Rich Asians is coming to Broadway! [Hollywood Reporter]
• Jennifer Lopez is apparently not letting the bad press get “in her head.” Maybe a teeny tiny bit wouldn’t hurt! [US Weekly]