Ayesha Curry starred in a holiday romance for the Roku Channel. Two former NBA players spent part of a podcast episode on her marriage instead of her work, and her husband, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, answered them Wednesday.
In an Instagram video, Curry named Nick Young, Gilbert Arenas and former NFL player Emmanuel Acho. “I’ve been hearing a lot of noise and usually the noise doesn’t bother me, doesn’t bother Ayesha but, this one in particular when you try to step on the accomplishments of my wife,” he said. He added that the comments reflected ideas about what women are “allowed and not allowed to do” and the “ignorance behind how acting works.”
The film is “Second Chance Holiday,” which premiered Nov. 5. Curry plays Chelsey, a dating expert who believes she is cursed in love, opposite Matthew Daddario as her high school sweetheart. The backlash began when Roku released the trailer on Oct. 27 and viewers fixated on one kiss. Curry’s answer at the time: “It’s not even real,” and “you guys are annoying.”
On the podcast “We Said What We Said,” Arenas called her “the only blemish” in the Curry family, saying she “doesn’t act like the other superstars’ wives,” and compared her with the wives of Magic Johnson and LeBron James. Young acknowledged “that’s the job” but kept discussing what the scene meant for the marriage.
Look at the yardstick. A Black woman took a lead role in a scripted film, and two Black men with sports media platforms graded her against other athletes’ spouses. Nobody asked how the movie was. That a working actress is measured by how a husband’s friends think a superstar’s wife should behave is the point Curry made, and he made it in his own words.
“Anytime Ayesha Curry shows up in your headline, I’d kindly suggest you just give the happy hands, the congratulations, and maybe, just maybe, the apology can be as loud as y’all leading y’all’s shows with this topic,” he said.
The apology came quickly, on “Gil’s Arena.” Young said: “I’m sorry Steph. You my dog, I love you.” Arenas said: “I’m sorry if he’s offended. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Both apologies went to Stephen. Neither was addressed to Ayesha, who has roles in “Irish Wish” and “Joy to the World” behind her and a job that did not require anyone’s permission. The sorry that would count is one made to her, on the same shows that spent the week on her marriage. Her film is streaming now on Roku.
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