Movies

Eva Mendes celebrates Ryan Gosling's Oscar nom for Barbie, calls out Ken doubters

The actress said she's "beyond proud" of her longtime partner, who got "so much hate when he took on this role."

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Published on January 24, 2024 06:48PM EST

Eva Mendes always knew her longtime partner Ryan Gosling would be Kenough to deliver the goods in Barbie.

In a celebratory Instagram post Wednesday, the actress said she was "so proud of my man" after Gosling scored an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as plastic himbo Ken in the Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster.

Mendes also took a moment to call out all the Ken doubters, writing, "So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it. Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars."

Mendes included screenshots of a 2022 Rolling Stone article skewering Gosling's Barbie look, and concluded her post by writing that she was "So beyond proud to be this Ken's Barbie."

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling.
Sonia Recchia/Getty

Mendes and Gosling have been in a relationship since meeting on set of the 2012 film The Place Beyond the Pines. They share two daughters.

Commenting on Mendes' Instagram post, Barbie actress America Ferrera called Gosling a "brilliant" Ken who "pulled off a triple somersault performance." She added, "We're so lucky it was him and I'm so grateful for the way he showed up with his superstardom, and continues to show up to support all the women in this process."

Barbie received eight Oscar nominations in all, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Ferrera, and two Best Original Song nods — for Gosling's anthem "I'm Just Ken" and Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell's ballad "What Was I Made For?" But the film was notably snubbed in two major categories, with Gerwig not being nominated for Best Director and Margot Robbie not being nominated for Best Actress.

After nominations were announced Tuesday, Gosling said in a statement that he was "extremely honored" to be recognized by his colleagues, but lamented his director and leading lady being passed over. "There is no Ken without Barbie," he said, "and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film."

Gosling added, "No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement. Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees."

The 96th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 10, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC. See the full list of 2024 Oscar nominations.

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