A 38-second clip released by 20th Century Studios on April 16 ignited a global backlash against The Devil Wears Prada 2 before its theatrical release, with critics accusing the film of reviving offensive Asian stereotypes through its new character Jin Chao.
The clip, featuring Helen J. Shen as Andy Sachs’ new assistant, quickly amassed over 25 million views on X (formerly Twitter), sparking intense debate across China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and beyond. Social media users condemned the character’s dowdy clothing, thick glasses, and overtly academic self-introduction — “I did move to Yale, 3.86 GPA, lead soprano of the Whiffenpoofs, and my ACT score was 36” — as a lazy revival of the “nerdy Asian” trope long criticized in Hollywood.
Many viewers found the name “Jin Chao” uncomfortably close to the racist slur “Ching Chong,” amplifying perceptions of cultural insensitivity. One Japanese user’s tweet, viewed 16 million times, lamented that the film’s strong promotional momentum had been “suddenly hit us with blatant anti-Asian racism and flipped the car.” A South Asian user echoed the sentiment: “we are in 2026… what made them think we’ll locate this kind of racism funny?”
Critics noted the character’s wardrobe — sensible office attire and glasses — clashed with the high-fashion aesthetic of Runway magazine, reinforcing outdated notions of Asian women as unfashionable or socially awkward. This contrast, they argued, wasn’t just a styling misstep but a deliberate visual shorthand that reduced Jin Chao to a caricature rather than a fully realized individual.
The backlash arrives amid heightened scrutiny of Hollywood’s representation of Asian communities, particularly following years of advocacy for more nuanced casting and storytelling. For many, the Jin Chao character felt like a regression — a throwback to eras when Asian roles were limited to sidekicks, tech experts, or academic overachievers devoid of depth or style.
20th Century Studios has not publicly responded to the criticism, though The Guardian confirmed it had reached out for comment. The film’s release remains scheduled for April 30 in China and May 1 in the US and UK, leaving little time for damage control amid growing calls for a boycott or revised marketing.
Adding to the controversy, the sequel had already faced criticism for its Starbucks brand partnership, which some viewed as tone-deaf given the franchise’s origins in satirizing corporate fashion culture. Now, the Jin Chao controversy risks overshadowing the film’s return to screens, turning what was meant to be a nostalgic triumph into a flashpoint for cultural accountability.
What makes this backlash particularly significant is its timing — arriving just days before release, when promotional momentum should be at its peak. Instead of amplifying excitement, the clip became a catalyst for broader conversations about who gets to define Asian identity in mainstream media, and whether studios still rely on shorthand stereotypes when under pressure to deliver familiar sequels.
The tension lies in the contradiction: a film built on critiquing superficiality and ambition in the fashion world now faces accusations of perpetuating its own kind of superficiality — reducing a complex identity to a set of easily recognizable, yet harmful, visual and behavioral cues. For many viewers, the joke isn’t on Andy Sachs anymore; it’s on the audience expected to laugh along.
Why did the character’s academic credentials provoke such strong reactions?
Jin Chao’s listing of Yale attendance, a 3.86 GPA, Whiffenpoofs membership, and a perfect ACT score activated long-standing frustrations with the “model minority” stereotype, which flattens diverse Asian experiences into a single narrative of academic excellence and social awkwardness, ignoring individuality and reinforcing harmful expectations.
Has the studio responded to the accusations of racism?
As of the latest reports, 20th Century Studios has not issued a public response to the backlash, though The Guardian confirmed it had contacted the film’s representatives for comment prior to publication.
