“The Devil Wears Prada 2” hasn’t even properly hit U.S. theaters yet, and it’s already getting side-eyed across Asia. The culprit? Not the plot, not the fashion, not the return of its A-list cast—but a minor character whose name critics say sounds uncomfortably close to an old-school racial jab.
Across China, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, online calls to boycott the film have picked up steam. The complaint centers on a character named Jin Chao, played by Helen J. Shen, who appears briefly in a promotional clip released April 16 by 20th Century Studios.
The clip itself is pretty standard sequel fare: fast-talking assistant energy, résumé flexing, and a nod to the original film’s cutthroat workplace vibe. Jin Chao rattles off her credentials to Andy Sachs—yes, Anne Hathaway is back—including a Yale degree, a 3.86 GPA, a standout ACT score, and her stint as lead soprano in an a cappella group.
In other words: hyper-competent, hyper-accomplished, and—according to critics—hyper-stereotypical.
That’s where the internet pounced.
“They made the assistant character on devil wears prada a typically high academic achieving asian woman with low social aptitude (very forgettable and a big lazy stupid trope in film),” independent journalist Tanya Chen wrote. “Again. Roll the clips of all the asian side characters throughout hollywood history. So lazy.”
Even advocacy groups are weighing in. “It’s unfortunate that offensive stereotypes continue to color how Asian American communities are perceived today, whether spread intentionally or not,” The Asian American Foundation said. “This is an everyday reality we face, and why TAAF invests in storytellers focused on capturing the full humanity of our community.”
There’s a legitimate conversation to be had about depth, nuance, and whether Hollywood keeps reaching for the same tired character templates. But let’s not pretend this is the first time—or the last—that a blockbuster sequel gets dragged into the global outrage cycle over a secondary character detail. In today’s social media ecosystem, even a 38-second clip can ignite an international firestorm before audiences see the full context.
And controversy sells. Studios may publicly wring their hands, but buzz is buzz—especially when it crosses borders.
