The 98th Academy Awards happened on March 15, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” scoring big, including his win for Best Director. Following his victory, the veteran filmmaker responded to criticism of the film’s portrayal of black women, particularly regarding Teyana Taylor and her role as Perfidia Beverly Hills.
Paul Thomas Anderson Responds To Backlash Over Teyana Taylor
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Warner Bros. released Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” in September 2025. It starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and Taylor. Notably, she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golden Globe in the same category.
Regarding the criticism, many moviegoers felt her character was overly sexualized and portrayed black women in a negative light, given some of her actions in the film. Anderson responded in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter after the Oscars.
He began, “I know a little bit about that critique. I know that Teyana has talked about it a lot. I know that we have the portrayal of many different characters, in particular, her character, who is so flawed and unfortunately makes decisions that are detrimental to the revolution that she is trying to fight.”
The ‘One Battle After Another’ Director Says ‘It’s Complicated’
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Anderson continued his response to critics of Taylor’s role in “One Battle After Another,” saying, “It’s complicated. We always knew we were trying to make something complicated. We knew we weren’t making something that was heroic.”
After that, the acclaimed director began discussing some of the obstacles Taylor’s character endured that may have shaped her into who she was. Specifically, he highlighted the film’s discussion of postpartum depression and some of her other unresolved issues.
He also stated that part of the reasoning for her character was to set up the fictional next generation and to show how Infinity’s character in the movie copes with and “manages” the life she was given.
Fans Are Defending ‘OBAA’
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Though criticism of Taylor’s character in “One Battle After Another” has been around since the film’s release, there are just as many fans who don’t see the role as problematic. This remains true after Anderson’s comments.
One person said on X, “Are the white characters portrayed any better in this film? DiCaprio’s character is a washed-up stoner, and Penn’s character is a creepy sociopath. Every character in this film is flawed, even the black characters.”
Someone responded to that comment, writing, “It’s the sexual exploitation of her character and how black women are often ONLY seen as sex objects.” After that, a different fan highlighted that there are other black women in “One Battle After Another,” like Hall, for example, who
