Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner are under fire for a new interview with Digital Spy, in which they jokingly describe Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow character in The Avengers as a "slut" and a "whore".
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The comments were in a response to a question about fans 'shipping Black Widow with multiple male characters in the Avengers movies.
In addition to the "slut" remark, Renner joked that the character had a prosthetic leg, implying this makes her undesirable.
Fans took to Twitter and Tumblr to express their disgust and disappointment with the two actors.
I'm really upset by Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans being gross and misogynistic and ableisssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
The Chris Evans/Jeremy Renner joke about Natasha being a whore and just a flirty sidekick made me cringe. Gross.
ok wow i'm upset fuck you chris evans and jeremy renner?
I'm actually really fucking appalled and disappointed with jeremy renner and chris evans in that interview with the ableism and slut-shaming
2 men calling a woman a slut and whore is sexist. Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans made a sexist joke. Intent does not erase impact!
While other fans defended the stars, claiming the comments were sarcastic.
Everybody is taking what Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans said WAY out of context. It's so obvious they were being sarcastic. Lighten up ppl
So Chris Evans is problematic because he was being sarcastic and joking about a fictional character? Get a grip, pls.
The fandom is definitely divided right now.
A representative for Disney did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed's request for comment.
In a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Evans said: "Yesterday we were asked about the rumors that Black Widow wanted to be in a relationship with both Hawkeye and Captain America. We answered in a very juvenile and offensive way that rightfully angered some fans. I regret it and sincerely apologize."
Renner said: "I am sorry that this tasteless joke about a fictional character offended anyone. It was not meant to be serious in any way. Just poking fun during an exhausting and tedious press tour.”
In a new interview with Conan O'Brien, Renner stood by his earlier "slut" comments (see video below).
