Teyana Taylor defends controversial 'One Battle After Another' character

Teyana Taylor is addressing the conversation surrounding her character in One Battle After Another.

In the action-thriller, Taylor, 34, portrays a member of a radical group known as the French 75. Her character becomes romantically involved with Bob Ferguson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, 50, while also entering into a sexual relationship with Steven Lockjaw, portrayed by Sean Penn, 65.

Throughout the film, Perfidia’s sexuality is a source of both empowerment and vulnerability, as she becomes the object of desire for both men.

While One Battle After Another has received widespread critical acclaim since its September release, some viewers have expressed discomfort over the way Perfidia is sexualised by the two White male characters.

Taylor recently addressed these concerns, explaining that the portrayal reflects uncomfortable truths about society.

“Is that not what Black women go through?” she told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on November 5.

“We are fetishized, especially by creepy mother-------.” The All’s Fair star continued, “We are, unfortunately, the least protected people,” adding that her role depicts “what Black women go through,” which she described as “a hard reality to accept.”

Taylor also noted that she expected the film to stir conversation. “This movie should spark debate, I always knew it would, because sometimes you just got to shake the table,” she said.

Before the movie’s premiere, Taylor joined DiCaprio and co-star Regina Hall at CinemaCon in April, where she admitted that her character wouldn’t necessarily be seen as sympathetic. 

“She’s always in survival mode,” Taylor said. “She’s very misunderstood, but she’s still selfish... I can’t wait for you to meet this character.”

Months later, in an interview with The New York Times, DiCaprio praised Taylor’s performance and described the lasting emotional impact of her character. 

“The echoes of [Taylor’s] character reverberate throughout the entire movie, and every character is emotionally scarred by Perfidia,” he said.

“So we knew we needed to get somebody that could be not only bold and outspoken, but bring that improvisational talent of truth in the moment. She just embodied that character in a way that I don’t think anyone else could. We’re all left as carnage after she comes onscreen, picking up the pieces of our lives.”