The Devil Wears Prada 2 is facing backlash over the portrayal of an Asian character.
The highly anticipated sequel is facing heavy criticism and boycott threats from Asian communities online after studio officials released a clip on social media showing Anne Hathaway's character Andy Sachs meeting her new assistant, Jin Chao, played by Helen J. Shen.
In the clip, the bespectacled Jin explains to Andy how she came to be her assistant and defends her new position by reeling off her credentials, saying, "If you don't want me, you can interview someone else. That's totally fine. I did go to Yale, 3.86 GPA, lead soprano of the (Yale singing group) the Whiffenpoofs, and my ACT score was 36 on the very first time."
Many Asian social media users have blasted the character, which they believe perpetuates stereotypes of Asian people. They took particular issue with her name, which some believe sounds very close to a highly racist phrase, as well as her outfit, her awkwardness and her academic overachievements.
"The Devil Wears Prada 2, Asian (Chinese), Name is Chinchon, Glasses, Nerdy bookworm, Even if they graduated from a prestigious school, they're uncool," reads one highly-viewed Japanese post on X. "Hits us with the most blatant racial stereotype racism in 2026 and it gives me chills. Did they use this scene in the promo because it's 'funny'? #BoycottTheDevilWearsPrada2."
Another user wrote, "The way they draw Asians is so blatantly stereotypical it's gross," while another accused the filmmakers of "blatant anti-Asian racism".
South Korean-American director Joseph Kahn, known for music videos such as Taylor Swift's Bad Blood, weighed in on the controversy.
"There's an uproar with Japanese Twitter about this Asian character. They feel she's a caricature, which she is, but not about Asians but Gen Z," he wrote on X. "Her outfit is actually very couture in a film about fashion... Nevertheless, the Asian character is being depicted as a fashionable, striver in the fashion world with typical Gen Z neurodivergency."
He added, "Asians around the world now planning to boycott this movie because they think this typical Gen Z girl is a reflection of American racism. Gen Z fashion and awkwardness creating more bad will to America than actual wars."
The Devil Wears Prada 2, co-starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, will be released in cinemas on 1 May.
