Emma Stone has come under fire from fans for her remarks deemed ‘out of touch’ regarding Luigi Mangione, who is charged with the murder of CEO Brian Thompson.
The criticism arose after Stone drew a parallel between her latest film, Bugonia, and the Mangione case.
Bugonia tells the story of two conspiracy-obsessed men who become convinced that the CEO of a major corporation, portrayed by Stone, is actually an alien intent on destroying the Earth.
Intent on stopping her, the men, played by Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis, decide to kidnap the executive.
During a Q&A session at the Telluride Film Festival, Stone remarked: “What’s really crazy, after we had shot the film – I live in New York – we heard someone was shot up the street. It was a healthcare CEO. You know, because Luigi. You guys heard about this?
“It was wild, because we had all just been in a basement [filming] together, talking about these issues and the bigger meaning of everything. It keeps hitting you that the world is so deeply fraught and terrifying in so many ways.”
Mangione is accused of the December 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, while prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.
Thompson was fatally shot on December 4, and on April 25, Mangione entered a not guilty plea to federal charges including stalking, firearms offenses, and murder.
A BBC report indicates that Mangione’s legal team has requested that the federal case be tried first, as it carries the possibility of a death sentence. Mangione’s trial is not expected to begin until at least 2026.
In the wake of Stone’s comments, several individuals took to social media to voice their disapproval.
One user commented: “‘You guys heard about this?’ is kinda funny considering he was the most talked about man in America at one point in time.”
Another expressed disappointment, stating: “Emma, I thought you were better than this. Gross.”
A third noted: “I kind of hoped she’d have more to say besides ‘how terrifying’ (??? what exactly is she saying is terrifying here?) given the obvious parallels between her movie and the UHC CEO case. Just an obvious cop-out from talking about the political context.”
Some also pointed out that Mangione has pleaded not guilty and has not yet stood trial.
Stone’s representative has been contacted for comment.