Celebrities are humans, and they have bad days: an old interview with Anne Hathaway shows her having a very unpleasant day as she took part in the press requirements to promote her 2012 film, Les Miserables. But why has this decades-old interview resurfaced, and what’s the point?
The interviewer is Kjersti Flaa, the same journalist who recently exposed Blake Lively for being a total mean girl, but unlike the It Ends With Us actress, Hathaway is not getting torn apart by fans because of how she responded to this criticism.
Flaa shared the footage on social media to expose Hathaway for being rude and dismissive. “So, I was going to ask you to do the first question singing, can I sing it to you and then you can sing back the answer?” she asked Hathaway during the interview. The actress replied: “Well, I won’t be doing that, but you’re more than welcome to sing.”
Flaa responded lightheartedly, saying, “So, were there any awkward moments like this on the set because you had to sing and not talk?” To this, Hathaway laughed and said no more. In the same interview, she was asked whether love was “more passionate” at the time of Les Miserables (set in Paris, France, from 1815 to 1832). Again, Hathaway responded quickly and coldly, simply replying, “No.”
Fans react to Anne Hathaway’s interview with Kjersti Flaa
The original YouTube video has attracted attention from fans eager to weigh in on the interview. “My experience has been that bullies LOVE to be cruel to kind-hearted people. It makes them feel confident. Bullies are the most insecure, damaged people on the planet,” a comment reads. Others have praised Flaa for her transparency and how seeing celebrities as the unedited versions of themselves is an eye-opener.
Despite Anne Hathaway appearing utterly disinterested in her interview, many fans have defended her. “To Anne’s defense: She said no, and you still ran with it. I think it is important to always respect a no,” a fan responded. Another had similar thoughts, writing, “Anne looked extremely tired, and I think it’s fair that she said no to all of those. She was criticized heavily for her singing voice in the movie, so my guess is that she thought you were trying to ‘trap’ her with her first question which then created a distrust the rest of the interview.”
When watching this interview and the one with Blake Lively, you’ll see that their energy differs. There were no mean jokes from Hathaway that insulted Flaa. This story has a happy ending: Hathaway took accountability: she impressed Flaa, who created a follow-up post to inform fans that Hathaway had penned a “touching and personal” email.
In the follow-up video, Flaa said the email from Hathaway explained “what she was going through when she did this interview, and she apologized for giving me an awkward interview, basically.” She continued, “I have so much respect for people who own up to their mistakes and say they’re sorry. I’m so grateful.”
Hathaway has also gained the respect of her fans, and the comments on the second video reflect this. “Hey BLAKE…. THIS IS HOW ITS DONE! Fire your publicist TODAY,” a fan wrote. “Anne taking accountability demonstrates good character. This shows humility and self-awareness,” another comment reads. Good on you, Anne Hathaway! But does Blake Lively need to take notes?!