Lucasfilm Boss Kathleen Kennedy Says ‘A Lot of Women’ in ‘Star Wars’ Struggle With Fan Attacks ‘Because of the Fan Base Being So Male Dominated’

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, shed light on the challenges faced by women in the Star Wars franchise. 

She acknowledged that female actors and creators often endure more online harassment than their male counterparts, largely due to the male-dominated fan base. 

This issue has been particularly evident with stars like Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran, who faced significant online abuse during the release of the latest Star Wars trilogy.

Now, the series “The Acolyte” is experiencing a similar backlash.

“The Acolyte,” an original series created by Leslye Headland, is set in a time long before “The Phantom Menace.” 

Headland, known for her work on “Sleeping With Other People” and the Netflix series “Russian Doll,” is the first woman to serve as a showrunner for a Star Wars series. 

The show features prominent new female characters portrayed by Amandla Stenberg, Carrie Ann-Moss, Jodie Turner-Smith, and others.

Despite the excitement surrounding the series, a vocal segment of the Star Wars fandom has expressed discontent. 

Comments on the trailer for “The Acolyte” question the increasing representation of women and minority characters in the Jedi ranks. Some detractors have even dubbed the series “The Wokelyte.”

Kennedy stands firmly behind Headland’s vision, stating, “My belief is that storytelling does need to be representative of all people. That’s an easy decision for me.” 

She also highlighted the pressures of working within such a massive franchise, especially with the added scrutiny of social media. “Operating within these giant franchises now, with social media and the level of expectation — it’s terrifying,” Kennedy said. “I think Leslye has struggled a little bit with it. I think a lot of the women who step into ‘Star Wars’ struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male-dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal.”

To protect herself from the negativity, Headland has begun limiting her exposure to online discussions about the show. Reflecting on her own experiences as a fan, she said, “As a fan myself, I know how frustrating some ‘Star Wars’ storytelling in the past has been. I’ve felt it myself. I stand by my empathy for ‘Star Wars’ fans. But I want to be clear. Anyone who engages in bigotry, racism or hate speech … I don’t consider a fan.”