Jenny Slate is speaking for the first time since she and Chris Evans broke up a few months ago. Slate sat down with Vulture for their big interview and… oh my God. Like, I enjoy Jenny Slate. I think she’s funny and charmingly neurotic and I get that her brand is “quirky girl next door.” She’s confessional because that’s part of her personality and part of her brand as a comedienne and actress. But she literally devotes the bulk of this interview to analyzing her relationship with Chris Evans. And it comes across as… too much. I feel sorry for her, for real, but… my God. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
She & Chris used to compare themselves to animals: “We used to talk about what kinds of animals we were. Chris said it’s like I’m a chick riding on a St. Bernard’s head. We’re an odd match.”
She & her ex-husband are still friends: “We’re good friends. That’s why we got divorced. If we didn’t get divorced, we wouldn’t be able to be friends and we wouldn’t be able to do our work. We had just grown apart, and we love each other. It wasn’t easy, but not bad.” She pauses. “No, it was bad. But not essentially bad.”
When she first met Chris: “I remember him saying to me, ‘You’re going to be one of my closest friends.’ I was just like, ‘Man, I f–king hope this isn’t a lie, because I’m going to be devastated if this guy isn’t my friend.’ ” The first time they went out to dinner, as co-workers getting to know each other, she remembers insisting they split the bill over Evans’s strenuous objections. “If you take away my preferences, you take away my freedom. Then I was like, Oh, man, is this dude going to be like, ‘Ugh, this bra-burner.’ Instead, he was like, ‘Tell me more.’ ”
Her marriage was dissolving. Vulture says her marriage was dissolving around the same time she was working on Gifted with Chris, when “all she wanted to do was hang out on the porch and drink beer and smoke cigarettes. Chris kept organizing group activities and she would begrudgingly participate. “Chris is a different speed than me — I think he really did just jump out of a plane for an interview. And so when he was like, ‘Game nights,’ I was like, ‘This is annoying. This guy’s like a sports guy. He’s the kid that likes P.E.’ ” But finally his enthusiasm won her over. “I first really liked Chris as a person because he is so unpretentious. He is a straight-up 35-year-old man who wants to play games. That’s it. I was like, ‘I’d better not discount this, because this is purity.’ ”
Getting to know Chris: “What’s the same about us is not just that we’re from Massachusetts, which was such a delight, but Chris is truly one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, to the point where sometimes I would look at him and it would kind of break my heart. He’s really vulnerable, and he’s really straightforward. He’s like primary colors. He has beautiful, big, strong emotions, and he’s really sure of them. It’s just wonderful to be around. His heart is probably golden-colored, if you could paint it.”
They didn’t fall for each other on set. “To be quite honest, I didn’t think I was his type. Eventually, when it was like, Oh, you have these feelings for me?, I was looking around like, Is this a prank? I mean, I understand why I think I’m beautiful, but if you’ve had a certain lifestyle and I’m a very, very different type of person — I don’t want to be an experiment. If you are a woman who really cares about her freedom, her rights, her sense of being an individual, it is confusing to go out with one of the most objectified people in the entire world… I’m considered some sort of alternative option, even though I know I’m a majorly vibrant sexual being.” And especially when random ladies would come up to her at CVS, “being like, ‘Oh my God, is that Chris Evans? He’s so hot!’ You’re like, ‘How dare you? That’s my boyfriend. But yes, he’s so hot.’ ”
She didn’t leave her husband for Chris: “When Chris and I started dating, my husband and I had only been separated for a couple of months.” The divorce actually went through while she was at the Sundance Film Festival, after she and Evans broke up. “Even though we had an amicable divorce, I think that’s still something that you need to mourn. When you get separated from somebody that you actually care about, it is the destruction of a belief system. That is really, really sad.” Throughout all of it, the divorce, the new love, she says, “I just didn’t have the tools. And I didn’t think very hard about that, to be honest. I wanted to step into the light. Chris is a sunny, loving, really fun person, and I didn’t really understand why I should be prudent.”
Are she and Evans on good terms? “We’re not on bad terms, but we haven’t really seen each other, spoken a lot,” she says. “I think it’s probably best. I’d love to be his friend one day, but we threw down pretty hard. No regrets, though. Ever.”
To be so vulnerable in a national/international interview is an odd choice, although throughout it all, Slate seems like herself. You know what I mean? She’s not “performing” vulnerability. She actually comes across as neurotic, vulnerable and still dealing with the breakup and the end of her marriage. If she says her marriage was done before she started dating Chris, so be it. I was going to say that she’s learned some important lessons about love and privacy and more… but I’m not sure she really has learned those lessons, judging from this interview.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Wow. I’m cringing with second-hand embarrassment just from reading the snippets listed here. Why talk so in depth about this on a national level?
Jenny’s got diarrhea of the mouth. I honestly don’t see her appeal.
Not that Evans is any more interesting than she is. Obviously he used her.
What’s so bad is that after all that, talking about how much she adores him and how amazing he is… they don’t even talk anymore!!!
Horrific
Well, the whole thing felt one-sided in that she was clearly more into him than he was into her.
I read it as a final attempt to establish the timeline of her separation and her relationship with Chris…and I don’t blame her, not only did it not work out, but I think she wants to make clear she did not leave her husband for Chris, true or not.
This interview can be summed up with exactly two words: SIS. NO. This is Stage 10 Post Breakup Mention-itis, i.e. when one is incapable of having a conversation without bringing the person up by name 300 separate times. There’s something very endearing about her and I hope she feels better soon!
I think you are being incredibly unfair. For months all we’ve heard is that Jenny cheated on her husband, Captain America is a homewrecker and more recently that Chris Evans tricked her into dumping her husband and then grew bored of our Jenny or was otherwise a douche to her. She is perfectly in order to set the record straight and do it in a way that broaches no argument.
What I get from reading the full thing is;
The marriage had been ending for a while and she was depressed during the film shoot.
Chris is open hearted and full of life. He befriended the entire cast so she didnt think much of the comraderie.
The Anna Faris podcast was made during this time.
After filming he told her he had feelings for her, she couldnt believe it. Also, girl has never been single her whole adult life.
They start dating and she sees the demands of his exposure. She hates the loss of anonymity, the intrusive eyes (US!) and the having to stay home to avoid paps. She cant stand the lifestyle and quits.
They split but they announce “a couple of months” later.
Chris is reportedly spotted partying for the first time in a year, which for most guys is how you shake off the hurt from a breakup.
Jenny shakes it off by calling her pal over for a bender in the house, which is how most girls do it.
Chris did not ditch her like a frat douche, in fact she not only speaks of him lovingly but hopes that when the hurt is cleared they can be friends. There is no bad blood.
Jenny and the so-called cuckolded ex husband are so cool with each other, he was over at her house the night prior to this interview even though the divorce already came through and they do not share kids.
SO! We. Knew. Nothing. And almost all the speculation prior to this interview was wrong. Had she put this out in a more “polished” way, y’all would be screaming PR and claiming its all a cover for some shady crap that went down. As it is, all you can do is just complain that she said too much and took the wind out of the gossip industry sails.
Cherise, exactly. This^ +1,000. Well written. My brain doesn’t work anymore and you wrote it out perfectly.
Hello, Jenny. Welcome to Celebitchy.
@Say What I’ve been on this site five years, google me. I dont hide behind a phrase as a sock puppet account either. Must be fun to be so dismissive of others. Have a great day.
The Unqualified Podcast was recorded on Febraury 22. Jenny and Dean did not end their relationship until mid March just before her birthday when she flew out with friends and then flew out to celebrate with her family in MA because when she came back she was no longer living with Dean instead she was living with Gabe. It was only 2-3 weeks after the podcast that Anna had said Chris was texting her to see if he and Jenny should “go out on a date or omething.'”
It was not Jenny who ended their relationship it was Chris before either one of them had flown out from Boston, that was the first week of January.
Eh, still TMI.
Are you beliving on what a celebrity says? Her social media tells everything is different. She was acting like a married woman till february. Buying a new house. Acting normal. Someone can says that social media, twitter is not an indication of what is happening in real life, but Jenny was always pretty open and posts about everything. If her marriage was over before Chris, there would be signs on her posts, and there was nothing. Their PR teams made a mess with the end of her marriage and she did the same. In her book, there a is part that she says her marriage was over for 3 years. Another page, she says 1 year. And here she said months. We know nothing, but i won’t believe in anything that comes out from her mouth. She speaks about him in a good light because now she can actually speaks about him, but will not do it in a way that will make her be attacked his crazy fans.
I think she just wanted to get her side out there. For exactly the reasons that she alluded to. Because she’s getting flak for being the “regular” girl who actually thought she could land the Hollywood hunk. People are being too hard on her I think. She got divorced. She dated a hot guy. It’s over. But this is another person for whom piling on by commenters has become sport. People WANT her to label her as pathetic or needy or neurotic out of pure jealousy. But I don’t get that vibe from her at all. I also didn’t read “neurotic” in her comments either.
Exactly!
Oh Sis… You need gfs to hash this out with.. this is A. LOT
Seconded. I don’t even really care for her, but I just felt such secondhand embarrassment for her, I want to text her some numbers she can call for good gfs who will keep all this stuff confidential. I hate to even say this, but Jenny, call Lena Dunham and pour your heart out.
^^ This. She should have had this convos with some gfs and a few bottles of wine NOT in an interview. I feel embarrassed for her.
So much this. She really needs some good girlfriends to figure this all out with, cry, take up kickboxing or eat ice cream and in either case drink lots of wine, and then move on. Not in interviews FFS
I literally want to cry from the second hand embarrassment. It’s like she was so grateful to have his attention…… Where are your friends honey????
Yeah, it sounds really, really fresh. She’ll probably look back at these comments in a few years and cringe.
I really feel bad for her. Embarassing things for her to say during an interview . Most people have had comments they wish they never made. Unfortunately for her, the comments were printed for the world to see. Huge cringe
I saw your comment after I had already hit submit on mine and I love that we were both like “SIS?!” Yes, she needs more people.
I have to think on what she’s said but first thing that comes to mind is he did The Dumping because she sounds like she’s still in love and in shock about all that has occurred
No, I think she did the dumping. The way she talks about not being prudent, not having the tools to deal with her divorce and a new relationship. She must have realised somewhere along the line that she was in way over her head. The fact that she talks and he doesn’t makes him seem like the hurt one to me.
I feel pretty confident Chris did the dumping. He never really acknowledged her while they were “together.” She still seems sad that they’re over. She ended her marriage to be with Chris. I doubt she would have been the one to pull the plug.
Yeah, when she’s talking about not being prudent, I’m thinking she picked an inappropriate dude for her, which she knew, and it went poorly. It sounds like she just went along with the flow, and here she is now. I’d bet he did the dumping.
@Ash He did acknowledge her. He turned up to her premier and brought family members too. He had to be careful not to over shadow her premier but the fact that he came, held her hand and even at some point tried to peck her on the cheek even though she rebuffed him both times ON CAMERA is the very essense of confirming a relationship. Also Chris doesnt do People Magazine confirmations of his relationships. Pretty sure everytime we have had a formal E!News confirmation, its come from the girls side (looking at you Minka Kelly). Did we ever even get a confirmation on Lily Collins other than those pics of them on a night out.
I don’t know man, why throw down so hard into a new relationship when according to you, you were just about to end a major one you’re in. She sounds like she was so in lurve with this dude and he was just enjoying life and he didn’t pretend to be going for more than that. Chica seems like a lot of girls who are looking for love in all the wrong faces. Enjoy being single because this girl needs to figure sh*t out before jumping into someone’s bed/ life.
I like this interview and appreciate her candor. She and Chris sound like nice people.
Ohhhh, yuck. So he gets to pass on the question and she…this? Ughhhhh.
So awkward and at least another two weeks of promo. And she’s no doubt been instructed by PR on how to respond but reading between the lines? Ouch!!
At least this movie should come and go quickly Jenny. It looks like a Lifetime movie and no one cares when he’s not Captain America.
No one forced her to answer. She could have passed these questions too but she obviously wanted to talk about him.
*glances around the room*
Ok I guess I’m the only one that enjoyed the interview….
Il join you in the corner kitten. I’ve never felt either way for Jenny before , but I came away liking her from this , I kind of wanted to hug her too lol
I like her. She was a bit naked in this interview but it was sincere. She’s trying to really say something and not deflect or spin.
And I love what she said about Evans. It actually describes how I feel about my husband.
I did too. 🙂 I don’t see the problem.
I enjoyed it too, Kitten. It was refreshingly honest. I didn’t come away feeling awkward or bad for her because it doesn’t seem she feels that way about herself.
Great point…I didn’t feel awkward for her because I think she was comfortable with being pretty raw and honest and did a good job of describing how it feels to go in and out of relationships. She’s smart and articulate and isn’t wallowing in nafcissism or being passive aggressive (hello Lena Dunham). I kind of loved this interview. I also loved her in parks and rec though, so maybe I’m biased!
Ha, I liked it too.
me too
she came across as so honest and vulnerable and it was refreshing. We don’t hear people talk so frankly about love and loss often, and her perspective is interesting because she isn’t a 20 something starting to date.
you tell lies to yourself about what something new will mean, especially when you are grieving the loss of something significant. i can imagine the difficulties being in your 30s and starting to date again and all the concomitant worries and insecurites.
i found myself liking her more for this.
Never really felt one way or the other about Slate but I agree that this made me like her more.
No, I appreciated her honesty. Maybe I fell for BS, but I thought it was authentic.
She seems sweet and genuine to me. Entirely lacking any instincts as far as self-preservation goes, but… she seems to cope well?
I did, too. I don’t think we should hate on people when they decide to be open and vulnerable. She’s not doing this for attention, she’s just being honest. I appreciate that a lot. It’s like she can’t be anything other than who she is. I like it
Exactly.
Celebs can’t win: if they give the standard BS answers to relationship-related questions then everyone yells at them for being evasive but if they answer openly and honestly everyone complains about “second-hand embarrassment”.
CHILL people.
Yup. This thread makes me uncomfortable.
Yeah it’s a bit odd. I suspect it’s mainly people who crush on Chris and don’t like Slate.
Oh well opinions are like assholes, right? 😉
I totally agree, its really refreshing to see someone being geniune for once.
I think it was a good read and she does seem like she’s being open and honest, I just worry she’s going to regret having said all this. That’s the cringey part.
Same. I wish more people, celebs and non, would be this candid instead of playing aloof all the time. This is the first time I’ve liked her.
I liked it too. It’s nice to hear someone be open for once. And I like her.
It’s not a matter of not “liking” it (or her). It’s the second hand embarrassment! I honestly think that when she has a chance to consider this she’ll regret being so public about it. It might be an interesting read for us but I’m not sure she’ll feel good about it in the long run.
That’s her choice, no? This isn’t the first interview she’s ever done and I’m pretty sure that at 34 years old, she’s aware of the fact that the internet is forever.
Maybe she just doesn’t embarrass easily?
People can be different like that.
She’s gushed about Chris before and got a ton of backlash so it stands to reason that she probably just enjoys being open and doesn’t have any f*cks to give about what you or I think about it.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it – it’s more along the lines of how 80% of a profile on her and her film is about her ex-boyfriend. And a good chunk of that 80% is how amazing Evans is. Is this a PR piece for Slate…or for Evans? Plus, they dated for, what…8 months? After reading this piece, you’d think they were married for 20 years.
^ THIS! Also, for someone talking so candidly about how she will refuse roles if they are not feminist enough for her but then immediately dives back into talking about her ex-bf for the majority of the interview…she’s a hypocrite. I get the going through a breakup piece but it’s as if this interview is to promote him more than her. She fails the Bechdel Test with this interview. I liked her pre-Evans and appreciate her candor and vulnerability, but I work in PR and this is totally her being “on brand” – fresh and emotional from her breakup, clarifying the timeline as to when they started up, claiming not to read anything online but feeling bold enough to call people “psychos”, really hammering home how she’s still friends with her ex-husband, etc. I enjoyed the interview – seems like she’s trying to get back to herself – and most certainly cringed during most of it, but her line about wanting to let women know that it’s possible to not being the bikini model standing next to Captain America…. seriously?! And whether she admits it or not, she is using him to elevate her desires to be a legit actress. It’s all to help her image and use the breakup to get her name out there. Not that I blame her, but she needs to own her sh!t. I personally do not buy her version of feminism which is in line with Lena Dunham’s “pay attention to me – but don’t pay attention to me – but pay attention to me on my terms” crap. I think she’s trying super hard to come off as laid-back but – even the author pointed out – she’s still very neurotic and not all that convincing. IMO.
I also loved this? I related pretty hard to her candor. I get the sense that while she wants to explain herself, she will be fine if not everyone gets it, if they still think that whole marriage-ending-relationship-beginning timeline is fuzzy. I got the impression of a person who doesn’t want to screw people over and who cares about integrity, even if the feelings for Chris intruded on the end-of-the-marriage deal – hopefully there WAS honesty and a clean break. I appreciated that she talked about how she isn’t the expected “type” to be with Chris but that this doesn’t make her a second-tier option in her own eyes, because I agree. I dunno, I also think it’s good to be able to say nice things about an ex? If you can leave and still genuinely have kind things to say about each other, I think that’s more mature than being like, “they were such a scumbag.” If an ex said nice things about me like this, I would feel pretty good about myself. It doesn’t have to mean she holds a torch – if anything I doubt you’d reach out to your ex through the press that way if she held out any hope for reconciliation.
I’m wondering if I’m a hypocrite, though, because when Tom Hiddleston did something similar in his interview with GQ I cringed for DAYS. Thing is, though, he cared SO MUCH about controlling the story. Jenny is more stealth and more laid-back about it.
Agreed. People are all “she’s not over him” but if she was still hurt then I doubt that she could speak so highly of him. Doesn’t usually work like that.
‘Doesn’t usually work like that.’
that depends, if you’re still in love with someone, didn’t have a nasty break up, and hope for a reconciliation, you would be talking highly of your ex. been there.
Eh. I suppose but the point is that it’s all speculation and people here are talking about Chris and Jenny’s relationship like they have some sort of special insight.
Maybe she’s over him and maybe she’s not but this interview isn’t a clear indication either way IMO. I talk about my exes in a positive way but I have ZERO desire to reunite with any of them.
The Hiddleston story was one of a kind though. When he showed up early in the morning lol!
Gosh I just want to hug her and cry with her. I think we all have been in her shoes before and I can feel her pain , confusion and even gratefulness come through in the interview. So raw and honest.
Liked it too. Contrary to many people here I think she comes across as a strong person because she’s not afraid of her vulnerability.
At the risk of sounding conceited, the thing I like most about myself is my relationship with vulnerability. For me, as you suggest, vulnerability is strength; it’s a way to embrace the complexity of being a human being in a chaotic world; it’s a way of speaking truth to power — and exercising a very type of freeing honesty.
Like others, I just don’t understand the backlash about this interview. I’ve never been into Jenny Slate before, but this made me rethink my position.
I enjoyed it too, Kitten. Lots of bitter kittens in this post today I guess. I don’t care much for her but I thought this interview was refreshing and made me see the “real” her – something that Lainey also noted!
I’m with you on this
Given that Chris never discusses his personal life in interviews, I’m sure he loves that Jenny discussed whatever it was that they had.
Well she’s always had diarrhea of the mouth so he should have thought about that before getting with her.
Well, both are idiots because she was married. I don’t care how much Jenny changes that timeline. She was still spending time with her husband when she was screwing around with Chris. They kind of deserve each other in a way.
her ex-husband seems a lot better-natured about it than commenters here are
She comes across as a Stage 10 Clinger who is sure every guy she dates is her true forever love. Yikes, have some personal dignity and learn to protect yourself from takers. LA is going to devour this woman if she doesn’t learn to be careful.
To me she comes across as the average looking chick who got to date the hot guy and is not over being dumped by the hot guy.
+1
i totally agree. Like he is such a prize and she was lucky to have him. ‘why would you date me? Am I pretty enough for you?’…. help.
+1000 This interview only enhances his frat bro image.
I don’t understand this thread at all? She talks about his purity and vulnerability, and compares him to various colors. On her end, it just seems like she’s thinking really deeply about a person she just dated, whom she has no ill will toward. And how does “his heart would be the color gold” enhance his frat bro image, at all? Honestly, no snark, did you guys actually read the interview?
I’ve heard this sentiment before about these two but IMHO I think she’s so much better looking than Evans. He’s incredibly generic. She’s strikingly pretty with beautiful skin and hair. But he’s a blond blue eyed bro, so that’s the ace card here, I suppose. I cannot work out beauty standards sometimes – they really are perplexing.
Shambles – re the frat bro image, it’s this quote:
“Chris is a different speed than me — I think he really did just jump out of a plane for an interview. And so when he was like, ‘Game nights,’ I was like, ‘This is annoying. This guy’s like a sports guy. He’s the kid that likes P.E.’ ” But finally his enthusiasm won her over. “I first really liked Chris as a person because he is so unpretentious. He is a straight-up 35-year-old man who wants to play games. That’s it. I was like, ‘I’d better not discount this, because this is purity.’ ”
He is more outgoing, popular and plays games. I am going to guess beer pong based on his appearances on Jimmy Fallon (with his ever present/bff his brother, Scott) and the Superbowl appearances. I am a Captain American stan and so I always knew he was into his boys but to hear it come out of Jenny’s mouth. Jenny seems more reserved and quirky. I can imagine she would be suited in a coffee shop or a poetry reading instead of a sports bar watching the game. His ideal of fun was probably overwhelming for someone like her.
100% from what she says she clearly was totally under his spell because of his looks. I doubt they connect on any kind of emotional level. She threw away her marriage for her teenage crush or however she worded that a while back.
No hard feelings we all would rather do Chris Evans than her husband, it was a major upgrade for sex but she was too inexperienced or dumb to keep the upper hand. She completly surrender because a hot guy showed her attention.-
Hit it and quit it and dont embarrass yourself in a national magazine. Good Lord.
@akku
Chris is not blonde haha.
I think Henny is one nosejob away from being extremely close to generic Hollywood prettiness, I don’t think she’s that average.
@Valois He looks blond to me *shrugs* I’m not white, though, so perhaps that (cultural perception) impacts on why I see that mousy color he’s got going on as blond. Tomayto, tomahto, etc. Anyhow, she’s still super pretty. He’s still super generic.
He’s definitely blond in Captain America, maybe that’s what you were referring to 🙂
CA hair:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ac/5f/d0/ac5fd0ccb5007101a10920d3996065ad.jpg
his normal colour: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/455916387253235712/2843cyD3.jpeg
Can’t believe I put so much thought into his hair colour 😀
Agree with Akku above. She’s striking and has great skin and hair. He’s a totally average frat bro. Never got his appeal at all. I just wish she hadn’t been so complimentary, especially since he was the one who broke up with her. I’m sure his ego doesn’t need it, what with all the adulation he must get on the reg.
Read the full article. She kind of admits as much, but she’s learning to be alone now. It’s a good read.
Yeah, this is waaaayyy too much, especially when you’re speaking almost completely about the OTHER person (vs yourself) who, let’s be straight with it, is NOT speaking about you, and never really did. She KNOWS that’s not his style. She KNOWS how private he is (or says he is) about his relationships … To the point where this seems like a major violation.
So, sure, pour your heart out to your girlfriends, but not in a national magazine, because I’ve seen long-term celeb married couples, doing 10,000 interviews, spill less tea than Jenny did in this single chat.
Also, PS, people who think other people shouldn’t even look at their significant other’s are just as annoying as those who think that EVERYONE should look at, and praise, their SO’s. Red flag. I mean, imagine if Scar-Jo or J-Law’s BF said that no one should look at “their” girlfriend … Wouldn’t everyone be, like, completely outraged at the possessiveness on display?
I mean, for real, she’s offended that other women (and men) think Chris Evans is hot? Chris Evans being hot is kind of his entire thing. SHE thought he was hot because, duh, he’s hot. I’m not implying I, personally, would say this to his face (or his mom’s, or his GF’s), because it’s a little rude and definitely not my style, but it’s an observation along the lines of, ‘Water is wet’ or, ‘The sky is blue’ … Not exactly a hard-sell come-on.
yeah she was with him exclusively beacuse of how he looks and then she gets mad when others also find him hot. Probably beacuse she knew that he had options and it wouldnt last.
She mixed up superficial attraction and wanting to bone him with eternal love.
I’d guess she was also with him because of how it made her FEEL that “someone like him” wanted “someone like her” … I had that vibe even before this interview, but this kinda’ seals it.
The thrill of being with the super-hot guy everyone wants is … undeniable.
Can’t say I’ve ever even had the chance to be with someone on Evans hotness level, but a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away when I was working in TV (very behind the scenes, nothing glam), there was a very good looking, fairly well known in his sport, athlete that put the moves on me pretty hard over a week-long event. It was utterly intoxicating, even as I knew full-well my main attraction for him was proximity. But, still, I remember well the almost drug-like feeling of Plain Jane-me being wanted by someone “like him” (heart flutter): good-looking, popular and charming as hell … and I’m a fairly woke, intelligent, realistic kind of gal. I was also a goody-two-shoes which is why I resisted … Something I still to this day, as a boring, stay-at-home mom of three, kinda question. (I mean, I KNOW nothing would have come of it, but maybe I should have just had the adventure?)
Anywho, point being, Jenny, I get it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ALSO roll my eyes at you.
Learning, hopefully, st 30-something things she should have learned at 17.
No, she was offended that women were fawning over/ coming onto him in front of her. I’ve gotten annoyed when other women checked out my boyfriend and talked to him in front of me in a flirtatious way; he hasn’t been happy about other guys approaching me in front of him. It’s a natural reaction.
Umm, yeah, it’s not natural when your BF or GF is an ACTOR, as in they are SUPPOSED to have adoring fans who get excited to see them. That public affection is how they make their living.
Jealousy may also be a natural feeling but, seriously, if someone flirts with your BF in front of you, it’s how HE acts that should be the issue, not the flirter. A good partner would simply be polite, but dismissive. Anyone who blames their own behavior on someone else — e.g. Hey, SHE approached ME — is the problem.
Its not natural, it means you are insecure. You obviously value the looks of your boyfriend so why wouldnt someone else?
It IS natural! It’s maybe not right, but it’s a natural human emotion. (Just as insecurity is.) So you’ve never, ever, ever felt insecure? How’s the temperature up on your lofty perch? Lol. Jealously may not be ‘right’ and we all struggle not to succumb to her ‘darkness’…..but it’s nevertheless real.
@S Actually, I disagree. It’s not just about jealousy or insecurity bc you probably know your SO isn’t going to act on the other person hitting on them. It’s about discomfort and taking offense and to the fact that it’s RUDE and disrespectful to do that in front of their partner. And yes, you generally can tell if two people are together or not by their body language. What man or woman wouldn’t be annoyed if some rando started hitting on their bf/ gf in front of them? My bf isn’t jealous at all and he was really mad when this happened recently.
I like seeing other women looking at my boyfriend. Just proves he’s hot. The best part is when he doesn’t notice them checking him out, and doesn’t look back at them
What was that? If that is her speaking her mind I feel really sorry for her. Being so open and so fixated on Chris. And how about him being the light, the purest thing on earth? Sounds like a Marvel PR…
I don’t see what’s so cringy about it. Then again, I’m extremely confessional — purposefully. I theorize that if we all were just more open and vulnerable, the world would be a much, much better place. Our (culture / species / whatever)’s commitment to appearances is downright depressing, to me.
I don’t disagree with that premise and, personally, have been known to reveal incredibly embarrassing, awful, utterly cringe-worthy stuff about MYSELF at the drop of a hat to near strangers. I’ve always felt that I’ll just get it all out there myself and save people the trouble of talking behind my back.
BUT, what she did here is expose SOMEONE ELSE that has, purposely, publicly and repeatedly, said he does NOT want to do that. Ever.
I know she was careful to say only, mostly, nice things, but there are enough hints in there of some dark stuff that I left feeling, yes, a little sorry for her, but also a lot, ‘Know when to say nothing.’
… Something I, myself, have learned as I age is that refraining from confessing every single thought in your head does have value. Not for secrecy’s sake, per se, but discretion does have its own value, especially when it’s someone ELSE’S dignity and privacy you should be respecting.
It’s also not always about artifice, but also just common sense and decency. A polite, respectful society isn’t really a bad thing. Making OTHER people feel comfortable, is often a good enough reason to refrain.
I read what you’re saying — I guess I just didn’t get a hint of anything dark. And even though she was, technically, talking about Chris — it felt very much about her. Tough to explain.
As for politeness and such. Yes, of course we should all be polite. But what’s not polite about vulnerability? And as far as decency goes — you know what they say, “One man’s Victoria Secret is another man’s P-rn.” I mean, she isn’t talking about their sex life — she’s just talking about how great she thought the guy was.
I can also talk to perfect strangers about anything. I even met my boyfriend at the store after he saw me crying my head off. I told him all about how it was the anniversary of my awful breakup. We ended up talking about everything in eachothers lives for 2 hours at the store.
I also don’t think Jenny should always talk about them when he doesn’t want to. Privacy is very important
Girl, chill!!!
I both thoroughly enjoyed this interview because it was very personal and she wasn’t afraid to “go there”, and found it incredibly difficult to read.
It took a couple of goes to get through. The first time I tried reading it, I had to look away from secondhand embarrassment.
“Oh girl! No! Shusssh! You don’t say ALL of that in a public interview!!!”
This interview should never have happened.
Jenny really comes off clingy and foolish.
She really has a high school crush on Chris and really lacks maturity.
Hopefully her gfs get her to stop talking about him.
Was this a bounce back relationship for her? Her marriage was just ending and she moved on right away. I don’t know how famous people do that so easily. Seeing an ex with someone else can hurt. Must be tougher when they’re in the public eye and are magazine articles about them all the time
i wonder if she discuss this all with him in that form. It feels to me like a friend posting these obvious break up comments on facebook and you are aware that the ex reads it too and you feel like screaming ‘dignity!!’.
And this will stay online for all eternity… so once you get over the heart ache suddenly you want to rip your hair out for being so honest and open in public.
idk, it’s a tough one. on the one side it’s nice to see actors who don’t seem completely pr manufactured and appear to be human beings. otoh, she’s so extra. even if she were just my mate talking like that, i’d think that she is lovely but extra, and i’d probably need a very long nap after talking with her.
also, as a friend i would advise her to stop going on about him and move on.
Jenny is so sad and pathetic. Girl got played so hard! I doubt he even shed one tear for her or for any woman he’s ever met. And they don’t even speak to each other now? So I guess it was not an amicable break up. He broke up with her right before press for the movie. Ouch!
If they don’t even talk to eachother anymore, she definitely should be quiet. Looks like she’s just trying to remind people that her and Chris had once been together
I like her, but I do agree this is too much for public consumption. And even though she talks about how she loves herself and finds herself beautiful and sexual, it’s easy to read that she was interested in Chris’ perception of her from the jump (she was worried he’d think she was a “bra-burner” at their first dinner, she remembered she’d have been devastated if they didn’t become friends upon meeting, she still hopes she can be “his friend” one day – not that they can be mutual friends).
It’s cool to not be over someone, and it’s fine to think your ex was wonderful. But this highly detailed rhapsody over the golden heart and primary-colored soul of a person she doesn’t even speak to is…unusual considering she doesn’t have similarly effusive language for her ex-husband (who she IS still friends with).
@Lyka Your last sentence is so spot on.
She’s like my husband and I grew apart but we’re still friends, he’s alright.
But Chris, he’s so nice, he’s so funny and sweet and vulnerable but we’re not friends, I hope we can be friends but I haven’t heard from him, is he my friend, I want him to be my friend. Chris are we friends, call me gosh damn it. I need to know that we’re friends because you’re so nice and I miss you. Is there any chance of getting back together. You told me I was going to be one of your closest friends, don’t lie to me, I will be devastated if you’re not my friend. I still haven’t heard from you, I’m missing my friend. Chris where are you…is it me?
Lol. Sounds like a heart broken teenage girl begging for her puppy love boyfriend to come back.
LOL. V4Real, Bingo.
LOL brilliant and spot on.
Spot on, Lyka & V4Real. PS – I love it when someone uses the word “extra” Yay for new favorite slang, lol.
This. I still don’t buy the timeline when these two got together … Started actually DATING after her separation? Maybe. But I find it hard to believe they didn’t hook up on set with all that time they spent together. I mean, I get why she has to maintain that, but it doesn’t really pass the logic test.
And, yeah, the husband here gets the passing glance while the short-term ex is all golden souls and primary colors … I can practically see the harp and halo on him, she’s trying SO hard. On the one hand, I have so much sympathy for how hurt she seems to be and how much she still wants to be with him. On the other, there’s a definite, ‘Rein it in, sweetheart, it was just a fling,’ feeling.
I predict that the premiere pole dance on this one will have her nowhere near Evans, EVER. Like Secret Service level security to keep her 50-feet away from Cap at all times.
How many words have you written about this relationship today? Thousands? You are ALL over this post.
She said she needed to be alone. She said they threw down hard. She called it the most stressful year of her life dealing with his celebrity and his bat shit crazy fans.
She says she maybe moved on too soon without processing the end of her marriage.
She says they don’t speak much but she hopes they can be friends one day and she’s thinks press for the movie together will go fine because he’s a “kind man”.
All this points to her breaking up with him. It also sounds like she still in love with him. All that makes it harder to stay friends.
She describes her break up with her husband as mutual and that they’d grown apart romantically, so that’s what kept them friends.
I don’t see that AT ALL. She appears to me to be CLEARLY the dumpee. The “time alone,” “too soon,” etc. is all just her rationalization for why it didn’t work, but maybe still can in the future. Unlike her ex-husband, who she seems to be totally over VERY quickly, she seems so VERY eager to reconnect with Evans.
The big clue is that they don’t speak, and she wants to speak. She was tweeting at him shortly after they broke up like, a lot, which I thought nothing of at the time (follow them both), but looks kinda desperate in hindsight, especially when it wasn’t a thing they did DURING their relationship. This interview just kind of confirms that vibe for me.
She’s ALWAYS seemed like the try-hard one in the relationship; not because I think she’s “not good enough” for Evans (as if), just the way she’s talked about him — “my dream 7th grade boyfriend” — and he’s barely acknowledged her existence publicly, even when things were new and, one would expect, hot.
@V4REAL LMAO you nailed it! It’s clear that even after getting dumped she still wants some kind of validation from Chris.
She dumped him? No way. She is the one pouring her heart in a interview. She is the one that cried on stage during one of her shows days after the break up. She is the one still talking about him. He is the one who was dancing in a video sold for TMZ and was seen picking random women at a bar during super bowl weekend. No way she did the dumping. Men tend to deal with break ups in a different way. But no way she was the one that did the dumping. He was living his life and doing what he wanted while they were dating. He knew that his gf was being dragged left, right and did nothing. She was tailoring her SM and became a tamed version of herself while dating him. Ms. “I’m a feminist” let a man own her ass and rules her actions and behaviour just because he was hot and Captain America and she was living her teenage dream of dating the hot guy. He thought he was dating and adult. Discovered she was a fan girl that went psycho and got rid off her. His dispair to do that is obvious, because he didn’t even wanted to wait the premiere of their movie to do that. And in no way I will fell empathy for someone that dumped her 10 years partner for a stupid frato boy like Chris. She says she was separated for months, when her husband was calling g her “wifey” on twitter in february. But her fans or whatever she has will believe on everything she says. She gets a pass. This interview was obviously an attempt to clean the story. And seems to be working for the comments here. Funny when people believe on everything celebs says. Now i’m getting how Trump got elected.
I’m halfway through the full interview and it’s clear she was dumped ’cause she talks about being crazy lonely and texting friends about etc.
Ouch that was embarassing. She has as much maturity as Taylor Swift.
I hope her husband never reads that. I mean deep down he knows that every woman would prefer Chris Evans over him but he does not need it spelled out by his ex wife that she was completly brain dead because she could only think with her vagina after looking at Chris. He knows that she would never talk about him in that way and I feel a bit for him that its now public knowledge.
You’ve said this twice now on this thread. You seem to be gunning for her ex-husband, like you’ve a personal grudge against him. Horses for courses, but Chris Evans is the most boring milquetoast person I have ever seen. I would take her ex husband a
Million times over Evans. So have to disagree on “everyone preferring Chris to her ex”
This cringefest confirmed a lot of things for me 1) Chris was the one who broke things off cause she still seems hung up on him 2) Everyone’s assumption was right – this was teenage fantasy for her. She risked it all for trophy BF 3) She was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more invested in this relationship than he was since day one 4) She is romanticising everything in order to get rid of cheating/homewrecking stench
+1,000
Agreed.
Everything you said is exactly on point!
I’m assuming she cleared it with Evans/his people before this interview? Maybe? Hopefully?
Celebrities likely have different rules for these things, but IMO this would be a conversation limited to close friends, not a national publication.
After being dumped by a boyfriend, you carrying on about that person to this degree in an interview, all about his amazingness? I can see a few sentences, but this is bizarre, especially when you get to the end and they don’t even talk anymore, which is, I imagine, because of his wishes, not hers.
Yeah, a, ‘He’s an amazing guy, but life is complicated and it just wasn’t the right time for either of us, I guess,” response would have been both complimentary and acknowledging the relationship plus, I’m gonna’ bet, gain her a lot of brownie points from Evans in terms of discretion. Maybe even get him to acknowledge her again … Which she seems to REALLY want.
I agree with everyone that, honest or not, this is the sort of thing that will live forever online and I’m almost certain she’ll come to regret is out there. Not least because EVERY OTHER INTERVIEW she does for this movie, and probably many in the future, will reference this piece, and ask for EVEN MORE details. It’s a never-ending cycle.
“Not least because EVERY OTHER INTERVIEW she does for this movie, and probably many in the future, will reference this piece, and ask for EVEN MORE details.”
Maybe that’s what Jenny wants? She picked up additional exposure by dating Chris.
A close friend of mine used to hang out with him in Boston. Said he was always surrounded by many pretty girls, but his only focus was on a certain white powder. Lots of it. All the time. Also said he was super douchey.
Evans is everything but definetely not hot. No clue what women see in this guy.
I agree. He’s not that hot.
I don’t find him hot either. He’s a blonde and douchey frat boy. Ew.
Good for Jenny using Chris now to promote herself. Fuck it, why not. I’m putting this down to a strategic move, rather than an accidental one. She says right there that she wants a seat at the table. Chris pissed her off after dumping her, so she decides to use his celebrity to get herself more press. Nice nice.
Her description of Evans is basically of a shallow dumb child. “He’s really straightforward.” “He’s like primary colors.” “He is a straight-up 35-year-old man who wants to play games.”
It’s quite the turn-off.
Oh yeah, and Jenny’s attempts at feminism make me cringe they’re so scripted. I don’t believe for a second she said this: “If you take away my preferences, you take away my freedom,” to someone offering to pay for dinner. Please.
“Oh yeah, and Jenny’s attempts at feminism make me cringe they’re so scripted. I don’t believe for a second she said this: ‘If you take away my preferences, you take away my freedom,’ to someone offering to pay for dinner. Please.”
Jenny’s a Lena Dunham-style feminist. I think they’re good friends too.
+1 !
Honestly, I may be the only one, her ex-husband is way more my type than Chris Evans. *shrug*
Dean is cute!
Nope, not the only one. If I had to pick between Dean and Evans, Dean would be my pick EVERY SINGLE TIME. He seems really smart, and funny, and cute.
I wonder if Jenny’s kicking herself for tossing Dean aside to be with Chris. I hope she heals.
He’s cute but in pics they look like they’re related to each other a la Cumberbatch.
Oh god. I actually feel so bad for her because she seems to be really upset over this fallout. Like, she thought Chris would stick and then it didn’t and now she can’t figure out where it went wrong so she’s blabbing in an interview. Does she have friends? Where the hell are they?? She seems like she just needs so some wine, a night crying on the couch, and a good friend to tell her she’s so much better than this and she shouldn’t concern herself with Chris. I’m not for her possible overlap and possibly leaving her husband for Chris but she seems like she just needs a shoulder.
It almost sounds like SHE broke up with him.
This is not a slam, sincerely, because I find it legit FASCINATING that people can read the same thing and come to such polar opposite conclusions (see many above; not just you).
To me, this interview, if anything, absolutely, utterly and completely confirmed the opposite of your supposition. I don’t mean that as, ‘I’m right and you’re wrong,’ just that, that conclusion — that she was dumped and if it were up to her they’d still be together — seemed so glaringly, blazingly obvious to me it barely even seemed to be subtext, let alone in question.
as we can clearly tell Jenny has verbal diarrhea if she had broken up with him she would have mentioned it that way + She seems very a– kissey while describing him which makes it seem like she wants to reconnect with him after getting DUMPED + Back in Jan people started speculating they had broken up cause she was tweeting sad tweets while he was busy doing skydiving and his usual stuff lol
“His heart is the color of gold…” Oof. She is clearly still madly in love with the guy. On the one hand, it’s interesting to see a celebrity just put it all out there like that. But I also kinda cringe for her.
Also: I still don’t buy that there was no overlap between her husband and Evans.
I really like and admire her honesty.
I don’t understand why you have celebs leaking sex tapes to boost their careers, parading around naked, getting insane levels of plastic surgery, talking about their bodily functions in intimate detail, stage managing every single moment of their private lives for the cameras, giving birth on camera, bringing cameras to the hospital beds of estranged husbands, etc. etc. etc. and no one even blinks.
An actress gives one interview making a handful of paragraphs that are genuinely emotionally honest and vulnerable and everyone freaks out about it.
I know more about Gwyneth Paltrow’s colon than I do about my own but Jenny Slate is an oversharing weirdo for saying she loved her ex-boyfriend and their breakup upset her?
Aw, I think it’s less that we don’t want to hear it and more that we worry she’ll wish she hadn’t said it. I think she comes across as really sweet, but vulnerable.
Goop’s colon…😆. I just came here to say I loved Jenny as Mona Lisa Saperstein in Parks & Rec. I was hoping for a spin off with Mona Lisa and her fantastic brother Jean Ralphio.
.
Subtly wins points most of the time. I think Chris Evans is quite pasty and not that hot – don’t get the fuss at all, but he stays in shape (like they all have to) and he’s quite funny as a character actor. Jenny seems like a nice person but so immature and it’s embarrassing she was shocked that some “hot guy” was actually interested in having a relationship with her.
That entire interview reads like a “he broke up with me and I’m still sad” therapy session. There’s being open and then there’s verbal diarrhea and that seems to be what she had in this interview. I also do think she was trying to change the narrative a bit about how she and Chris got together. But I don’t buy it. When she and Chris were on Anna Faris’ podcast it was AFTER they had wrapped their film and she was still actively talking about her husband. What chick continually brings up her ex- husband while sitting next to the guys she is dating? So yeah…I don’t buy it. I think she was a girl who finally got the cute popular dude and then proceeded to drive him nuts.
ITA Valient.
I think it’s beautiful she can be positive about their shift in relationship. It makes me happy to see someone admire a once lover as a teacher. It sounds like maybe Chris taught her a lot about joy and lightheartedness. Love never ends, it just transforms. Good for them.
It figures the day I’m away from my computer all day a piece like this would come out. Because – wow. This is close to Hiddleston’s 6 am hotel room visit.
I’ve never been a fan of Slate (I hated her on Parks and Rec), and this interview does not help my opinion of her. I feel there’s a bit “the lady doth protest too much” about her justifying the timeline of her marriage ending / hooking up with Evans.
And regardless of my personal opinion of Chris Evans, it’s well-known he likes to keep his private life relatively private. His going to her premiere last summer and bringing his family was a big deal for him (and is partially why I think he was, at some point, very much committed to her). For her to spill all of these details about their relationship and then be like “oh, but we’ll be friends in the future” just strikes me as the height of girl drama. It also makes me think Chris was smart to dump her.
This interview reminds me of crazy stuff girls did in high school that became a joke about “remember how stupid we were” by our freshman year in college. I’m just – where are her girlfriends telling her to be a freaking adult and take the high road?
The curse of having an excellent memory is I realize that like half of the things she says in this interview are lies and exaggerations (begrudging… yeah ok), but I don’t want to go point by point because IDGAF and also because I’ll sound like a stalker when I just, well, have an excellent memory lol.
And that’s ignoring the obvious cringey hypocrisy. So yeah… I don’t think I am Jenny Slate’s target demographic for her “brand”.
Same – her new fake timeline (how many you want to put out there girl) and twisting of facts (I can’t stop laughing over her saying he went after her) is just beyond extra. She needs friends or a therapist.
some cry out that this was vulnerability at its finest, that this is a strength. but i feel vulnerability is only a strength when you reveal it to those deeply close to you. it comes off as fragility and weak when exposed for an interview that you as woman were suppose to discuss your movie and etc.
also given the fact that chris pretty much never discusses his dating life, yea she’s overexposed.
i dont understand why celebs cant straddle the line of self preservation and candor. like sure interviewer asks you whats going on, keep it simple and sweet, like sophia bush (for the most part) and rob pattinson
Jenny should have said “I have been privileged to be involved in relationships with 2 amazing people, at different points in my life. Unfortunately for private reasons, it didn’t work out, but the respect and admiration is still there. We wish each other well, always… As par for the course, I am pretty bummed about it, but thats life— thats what girlfriends, wine, and ice cream is for ::inserts obnoxious chuckle:::”
And when i tell you this site would have love her for eternity for that statement above, but no….. she chose to say and i paraphrase chris is a “gold color” WTF girl nooooooo…. it sounds like diary talk. like i felt like i was reading her diary. it also comes off as she was so enamoured with this new hot piece bf that thats all she can think about, not the dissolution of 4 to 5 years of marriage the man she said vows and wanted to start a family with who im sure was hurt seeing her in a relationship with captain america which prob def started in prod of their movie….that alone would devastate me knowing I hurt my husband or ex husband, not the latest quasi affair bf that didnt work out.
i keep telling yal i need to do PR, lol
This is such an odd couple – simply because he seems to go for the traditionally drop dead gorgeous girls – that I went back and read a bit on it. I don’t think they were dating during that podcast with Anna Faris but I think he was already thinking about pursuing her and they were already great friends with lots of natural chemistry and the same home town. I think she left her husband because Chris pursued her pretty hard. She’s unconventionally attractive when she covers her dark eye shadows which seem to give her a really seedy look!