Eva Mendes has defended her husband Ryan Gosling after he received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Ken in Barbie.
Mendes posted a gushing message of Gosling to her Instagram on Wednesday, describing her pride and the ‘Not My Ken’ jeering he endured in the lead-up to Barbie’s release.
Gosling has since been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role – but controversially, lead star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig failed to receive individual nods.
‘So proud of my man,’ Eva posted to Instagram. ‘So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it. Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious,heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars. So beyond proud to be this Ken’s Barbie.’
America Ferrera, Gosling’s Barbie co-star who also was nominated for an Oscar, called the actor a ‘class act’ as she commented on Eva’s post.
Eva Mendes has defended her partner Ryan Gosling after he received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Ken in Barbie
‘He is brilliant as Ken! Pulled off a triple somersault performance! We’re so lucky it was him and I’m so grateful for the way he showed up with his super stardom, and continues to show up to support all the women in this process!! He is a class act and insanely deserving and talented,’ she wrote.
America is also up for an Oscar – she landed a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role of Gloria, a mother who helps save Barbie Land after Ken spreads the word of patriarchy to the other dolls.
Eva and Ryan met on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines in 2011 and share two daughters, Esmeralda Amada, nine, and Amada Lee, eight.
The post came after Ryan released a statement expressing his disappointment after his co-star Margot and director Greta Gerwig were snubbed by the Oscars.
Ryan, 43, shared that the movie would not exist without Margot, 33, and Greta, 40.
‘There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film.
‘No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.
‘Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees,’ he declared.
A source told DailyMail.com Ryan ‘believes that his role was so well received thanks to the work that [Margot and Greta] did, making his performance Oscar-worthy in the first place.’
Mendes gushed she was ‘so proud of my man’ as she recalled the ‘Not My Ken’ mockery he endured in the lead-up to the release of Barbie
America Ferrera, Gosling’s Barbie co-star who also was nominated for an Oscar, called the actor a ‘class act’ as she commented on Eva’s post
Gosling nabbed an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ken
‘He is ecstatic that he was honored but it is bittersweet that his enjoyment can’t be shared with Greta and Margot in the next few months because they were snubbed.’
The source added the father-of-two will perform I’m Just Ken during the ceremony and ‘may incorporate his feelings on Margot and Greta not getting nominated’.
Ryan began his statement by expressing gratitude for his nomination. ‘I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films.’
‘And I never thought I’d being saying this, but I’m also incredibly honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken,’ he shared.
America is also up for an Oscar – she landed a Best Supporting Actress nod for her role of Gloria, a mother who helps save Barbie Land after Ken spreads the word of patriarchy to the other dolls
Controversially, Margot, who played the title character Barbie, and director Greta Gerwig failed to receive individual nods
The actor then went on to share his disappointment at Margot and Greta not being nominated, before praising them for their work on the film.
‘Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history.’
Lastly, he congratulated his other co-star America Ferrera, who received the Best Supporting Actress nod. ‘Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film.’