The Acolyte Star Lightheartedly Addresses Controversy Over Canceled Star Wars Series: “Heaven forbid the lesbians reach space”

Dafne Keen, known for her role in The Acolyte, has once again tackled the controversy surrounding the Star Wars series, expressing her curiosity about the absence of LGBTQ+ representation.

During a recent episode of a podcast, host Ashleigh Simonot shared that she and Keen met while filming The Acolyte. Keen, who portrayed Jecki Lon, a half-human, half-Theelin Padawan, humorously referred to the show as “a fan favorite.”

After its June 2024 release, the series faced significant backlash and review bombing, largely due to its queer female showrunner and non-binary lead actor, leading to its cancellation just two months later.

“Everyone loved it. There was no controversy,” Simonot remarked. She recalled a comment from a critic who said, “Ugh, this is just lesbians in space,” which Keen found amusing.

“Everyone was saying that,” Keen responded. “God forbid the lesbians make it to space. But, also, where were the lesbians? They were nowhere to be found.”

The show featured twins Osha and Mae, both played by Amandla Stenberg, who were raised in a matriarchal society and had two mothers, but overall, the characters lacked significant queer representation. Showrunner Leslye Headland even stated, “I don’t believe that I’ve created queer, with a capital Q, content.”

Keen’s next project is Whistle, a horror film directed by Corin Hardy, which follows a group of teens who trigger a series of bloody events after discovering an ancient death whistle.

Whistle is set to hit theaters on February 6 in the US and February 13 in the UK.