Jimmy Kimmel Responds to Elon Musk’s Comments on Lupita Nyong’o’s Casting in ‘The Odyssey’

Jimmy Kimmel has strongly addressed Elon Musk’s reaction to the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film adaptation of ‘The Odyssey’.

The controversy began when Musk took to X to criticize the decision to cast Nyong’o in the iconic role. His remarks quickly gained traction online, igniting discussions about the film and its casting choices. Kimmel made it clear on his show that he disagreed with Musk’s comments.

During his monologue, Kimmel remarked, “Elon Musk is now attacking Christopher Nolan, the film director, for the way he cast the movie ‘The Odyssey.’ He’s upset because Christopher Nolan hired Lupita Nyong’o to play a character he believes should be played by a white woman.”

He highlighted Musk’s social media post, where Musk claimed Nolan had “desecrated” ‘The Odyssey’ and questioned the rules around awards eligibility. Musk also expressed frustration, stating, “Who specifically is the a–hole who added DEI lies to Academy Awards eligibility instead of it just being about making the best movie?” according to Kimmel’s reading of the post on air.

Kimmel firmly pushed back against Musk’s comments, comparing Musk’s criticism of casting choices to his own well-known dislike of the Tesla Cybertruck design. He quipped, “That’s a good question. While we’re at it, who specifically is the a–hole who thought this was a cool design for a truck? I mean, stay in your lane.”

The comedian noted that Musk was not alone in his reaction. He referenced other media figures who also questioned the casting decision, including Newsmax host Rob Finnerty, who stated on air that Helen of Troy was not Black.

Kimmel pointed out that the story itself is not based on historical fact. He argued that debating the appearance of mythological characters is nonsensical. He stated, “Helen of Troy was also not real. ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythical poem. There was no Helen of Troy. She was mythical, like Santa Claus or election fraud … It doesn’t matter what color a myth is.”

He further explained the mythological background, adding, “And if you really want to get into it, Helen of Troy was half bird. Helen was the daughter of Zeus … who disguised himself as a swan so he could mate with a human woman who then laid an egg and out hatched Helen of Troy.” These remarks were part of his effort to emphasize the distance between the story and actual history.

Kimmel humorously concluded the segment by suggesting that the focus should be on other aspects of the film. He wrapped up the discussion by referencing his ongoing “feud” with actor Matt Damon.

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