Dakota Johnson covers the latest issue of Vanity Fair. She’s promoting the new adaptation of Persuasion, which does not appear to have much resemblance to Jane Austen’s novel. Dakota plays Anne Elliot-as-Fleabag. Sigh. Anyway, I enjoyed this Vanity Fair cover story. Dakota comes across as very cool, wry and interesting. She’s got her own production company – which made and sold Cha Cha Real Smooth – and she’s the co-creative director for Maude, a vibrator company. She’s also been with Chris Martin for five years, which is bonkers. She touches on all of those subjects and more in this VF piece. Some highlights:
Her blended family with Chris Martin: “Maybe I think about relationships like that differently because I grew up in my family. We were all cool.” With each other, she means. “Obviously, there were times where it was not cool, but I experienced that, so I don’t want that in my life. I don’t want any kids to experience anything like that. It’s better to be kind, and it’s also really nice that everybody actually really loves each other and has each other’s backs.”
Her mother calls Dakota’s upbringing that of a “privileged gypsy.” Johnson wrestles with that term. “I think that glamorizes it a little bit or makes it seem like everything was totally amazing all the time. My life is incredibly lucky and privileged, and the life I led growing up was remarkable—the places I went and how we lived and what we were able to experience. But we also struggled with internal family dynamics and situations and events that are so traumatic.”
She loves seal-watching in Malibu: “Chris and I came down here the other day, and I was without my glasses. We were watching ‘seals’ for 10, 15 minutes—and it was seaweed. He just let me think that they were seals the whole time.” She imitates Martin, sounding sweet, patient, and slightly concerned. “Yeah, there they are: seals.”
On Persuasion: “I really felt like Anne Elliot is maybe the most like her—like Austen. In her prose, she’s sort of winking and nodding to the reader.”
Her name getting dragged into the Johnny Depp mess: “I was like, ‘For the love of God, why? Why am I involved in this?’ I don’t remember that at all, but please, take me out of this. Don’t let this go further. Can you imagine, oh, my God, if I was called to the witness stand? I can’t believe that people are watching [the trial] like it’s a show. It’s like it’s a courtroom drama and my heart breaks. It’s so, so, so crazy. Humans are so f–king weird. The internet is a wild, wild place.”
What she will say about Depp & cancel culture: “What I struggle with in terms of cancel culture is the term cancel culture—the whole concept behind canceling a human being, like they’re an appointment. No person will not make mistakes in their life. The point of being alive is figuring it out. Hurting other people, harming other people is not okay. There are consequences for those actions. But the concept of the Twitterverse deciding if someone just all of a sudden doesn’t exist anymore is horrifying, heartbreaking, and wrong. I do think that it will pass. I believe that people want to live in a better world, ultimately. Also, Twitter makes up like, what, 12 percent of the world? I mean, some of these people can’t even spell.”
On the ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy: “I signed up to do a very different version of the film we ended up making.” I ask if the studio or the directors were the problem, or if it was a combo platter. “Combo. It was also the author of the books. She had a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen. There were parts of the books that just wouldn’t work in a movie, like the inner monologue, which was at times incredibly cheesy. It wouldn’t work to say out loud. It was always a battle. Always. When I auditioned for that movie, I read a monologue from Persona and I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to be really special.’ ”
She doesn’t regret making the Fifty Shades movies: “No. I don’t think it’s a matter of regret. If I had known… If I had known at the time that’s what it was going to be like, I don’t think anyone would’ve done it. It would’ve been like, ‘Oh, this is psychotic.’ But no, I don’t regret it.”
She got along really well with Jamie Dornan actually: “There was never a time when we didn’t get along. I know it’s weird, but he’s like a brother to me. I love him so, so, so much. And we were really there for each other. We had to really trust each other and protect each other. We were doing the weirdest things for years, and we needed to be a team: ‘We’re not doing that,’ or ‘You can’t do that camera angle.’”
She had a lot more to say about Fifty Shades but she was mostly talking around what the actual production issues were. I mean, it’s not a secret that EL James made terrible decisions with the story and the scripts, and the studio was wrong to give her that kind of power. But whatever – I can’t believe both Jamie and Dakota spend so much time justifying that franchise. They made a dumb movie trilogy and it ended up helping both of their careers enormously. Stop talking about it!
As for what she says about cancel culture… she had similar thoughts last year, when she talked about her history of working with dudes who were eventually outed as perverts, abusers, rapists, etc. Boiling down that sh-t to “cancel culture” is a huge disservice to everyone, especially women. Calling out toxic masculinity isn’t cancel culture. Calling out abusers isn’t cancel culture. Enough of this sh-t.
Cover & IG courtesy of Vanity Fair.
I think cancel culture is just fine. Not wanting to support bigots and abusers sounds great to me.
Yes, I feel great holding people accountable. Cancel culture has become a vague, politicized term, unfortunately, but what’s important is recognizing the importance of holding those in power accountable for their actions.
Umm. Is it time to “ cancel” someone with extreme privilege that can’t see privileges? Umm “ clutch my pearls … your parents had a messy divorce 🤷♀️ The press wanted to know about you 🤷♀️
Grow the hell up .
Agreed, but I’m not surprised Dakota Johnson feels this way. She’s biased.
Don Johnson first started “dating” Melanie Griffith when she was 14 and he was well into his 20s.
Somehow, I’m not surprised Dakota Johnson fears and dislikes so-called cancel culture. She knows if her father had been at the height of his fame, her father would’ve been swept up in the MeToo takedowns.
The irony is cancel culture doesn’t permanently cancel anyone. They don’t cease to exist as she claims. Exhibit A: Louis CK is back out there raking in cash. Weinstein was a rare exception.
Yeah … what rich white guy has actually been canceled? Maybe Armie Hammer and Weinstein? The vast majority of them are barely affected. Kevin Spacey just got let off the hook for ANOTHER rape claim in Italy. I mean Trump is still free and still has an ungodly number of fans and a vise grip on the Republican party. Johnny Depp, since the article brings that up, is swanning around winning cases against his survivor.
Cancel culture isn’t a thing.
This.
Cancel culture is simply capitalism. I don’t like something? I don’t spend money on it. Bottom line. People just don’t like it when enough people stop spending money on something they find objectionable so that others’ bottom lines are affected. Too damn bad. 🖕🏻
This. I choose where to spend my money, and if I don’t want to watch a movie starring a rapist or racist, etc., I am not legally required to do so. I also don’t control what jobs these actors get or don’t get. (If I DID control that, there would be a lot more people of color and women on screen and in leadership positions, and Johnson wouldn’t get work because she can’t act). These privileged actors need to shut up.
I agree…. I’ve said this before they played stupid games and won stupid prizes. Unfortunately people like certain white actors and comics seem to squirm back into their positions of privilege.
Is it really that tragic if some people stop being fans of celebrities after they say or do something really gross or off putting (or worse)?
Anyway, the GOP started cancel culture by labeling anyone who slightly compromises with a Democrat as a RINO.
Their version of cancel culture actually negatively impacts our society, culture, and world.
I don’t know. Cancel culture seems extremely mercurial/at the mercy of whatever “evidence” comes to light. They tried to cancel Taylor Swift, and it turns out that Kanye was way more problematic/an actual Trump supporter and Kim K was super sketch. they cancelled Johnny Depp (deserved) and now they’re trying to cancel Amber Heard (undeserved). I am against the flippant term of “cancel culture.” I am for people speaking out and exposing bad behaviors to spearhead changes in the system.
I agree. ‘Cancelling’ bigots and abusers seems like a fine idea.
She is Melanie Griffiths and Don Johnsons daughter. That she survived that tragic dice roll is remarkable.
I think her mother had substantial substance abuse issues so even for a rich kid, that doesn’t make for a fun childhood. I don’t know if her father was more stable.
Ummmm….No…..if anything Don Johnson was worse. Sexually assaulting masseurs and doing coke all over the place. He’s messy as f*ck, arrogant, and treats people like garbage.
And will she PLEASE stop talking about cancel culture as if she knows anything about it. When they can show me the person who has been TRULY cancelled and is not just dealing with the repercussions of bad behavior, I’ll eat my leopard skin pillbox hat.
A lion also once bit Melanie Griffith’s face.
One day (maybe) people will realize animals are called wild for a reason.
Nobody knew who she was before 50 shades so she should acknowledge that and move on. As for her concerns about cancel culture she just shows that she lives in a bubble and most likely is a Republican.
+1
This. I tried to watch her in something after her last stupid comments whining about cancel culture and defending abusers, she’s not talented or interesting enough for this. The lost daughter was good because of Olivia.
I feel like it means republican and also she knows that either she or people she loves are one exposure away from being cancelled.
I think there is an extreme to cancel culture that is too easy to fall into, especially where social media comes in. Someone digs up a MySpace post that’s questionable and offensive. It was posted when the person was 15 and now they’re 35. So the cancel hashtag starts on Twitter, but in the twenty years that person did some work on themselves and are a better person.
Like Harry. We’re all pretty much pro Prince Harry, crediting him for doing the work on himself through therapy and actually talking with people, getting new experiences, to make up for his Nazi display (William will never have to answer for that but I digress) but we’re quick to not allow that same treatment for others.
Now some need to be cancelled. And they’re easy to figure out. This group is also notorious for thinking they’re right and are being victimized. Anyway those are my thoughts.
Agreed. If she’s speaking of what you describe, she’s right. However…she seems to go to bat for abusive men, in which case I disagree. She’s a strong advocate for DV and sexual violence victims, so I can’t figure her out. Someone may have nailed it above when they said who her parents are and how she managed to survive that. Let’s face it, there’s no way she wasn’t affected. So she’s probably a mess of conflicting emotions and opinions.
I think calling wearing an outfit for a fancy dress party a Nazi “display” is a little bit extreme. Yes, the parties themselves were in poor taste but it’s not the same as having a Nazi ideology, getting a swastika tattoo and joining a neo-nazi group. Martha Stewart is still successful despite admitting using words in the past. Jimmy Fallon is still on the air despite wearing blackface in the past. It’s possible to move past things but an apology and the work has to be real and not just performative.
I agree. People like Weinstein, Epstein, Cosby, Maxwell, Trump….I’d list more but I’m at work and can’t take a shower lol. will never be rehabilitated by sane people. Like I said, it’s the extreme end of cancel culture
yeah so I think that cancel culture can be too absolute at times, but sometimes not absolute enough, if that makes sense.
so like I think that if we’re looking at something that someone said or wrote 20 or 30 years ago and we’re like WTF, we’re canceling you without giving that person a chance to defend themselves – that’s wrong. But I think often “cancel culture” is more about someone doubling down on their “mistakes” and telling the public why we’re wrong to interpret it X way and that even if we interpret it X way it doesn’t matter because we’re not wrong and omg you’re CANCELING me when I did nothing wrong! Or we “cancel” someone for like a month and then they’re back and we all just shrug and move on.
Holding people accountable for being racists, rapists, abusive and sexist isn’t bad. Show me a canceled person who didn’t deserve to be called out? I know it’s hard to understand, but people who do horrible things and say demeaning, harmful things don’t get to walk away unscathed. Cancel culture isn’t even real. It’s not that people can’t say or do what they want., it’s that now there are community consequences. Say some racist homophobic stuff, hey people don’t buy your products or see your movies.
@KFG yes to everything you said. Cancel culture (stupid term) isn’t even real. Celebrities can’t even talk about it in specifics because their whole argument falls apart. Who has been truly canceled? And did that person deserve it? You can’t answer that first question with very many names, and the answer to the second question is yes. There’s nothing wrong with holding someone accountable. Why is Johnson talking about this? She’s really out of her depth.
Side note I stopped listening to Conan O’Brien’s podcast because he whines about cancel culture a fair amount. 🙄
@Heather C – Regarding your first example about a MySpace post…is that person truly “cancelled” though? If they’ve changed and are a good person and apologize sincerely, I don’t think people truly get cancelled. It’s when they don’t apologize or double down. I’m sure there are anecdotal examples to prove what you’re saying. But I don’t think that ever really happens.
Genuine question for the people who are saying something cancel culture goes overboard…can you give me some specific examples? I just really don’t think it’s a real thing.
Agree. Not supporting people you don’t like is one thing. Telling everyone else to dislike the person and basically Scarlett letter them is a bit much. Cancel culture reminds me of the Simpson Mob. I canceled plenty of people! but not with the “new cancel culture” methods
I been canceling folks since I was 5 LOL but I dont wage a war against them
The people being influenced have the right to make up their own minds about the situation. If someone is spreading lies to “cancel” somebody that’s a different matter.
Oh FFS. I normally like Dakota, but come on, she sounds silly here.
Here’s the thing-occasionally cancel culture goes overboard. And it’s definitely selective in who it targets. But 95% of the time cancel culture goes after truly heinous people, and it doesn’t even stick most of the time. I mean, h*ll, look at David O. Russell directing again.
I will say, I do think people who grew up in Hollywood or who were child stars probably have a warped view of cancel culture since there are just so many predators in Hollywood that are normalized. Not to mention Dakota’s own father is a statutory rapist. Everyone forgets Don Johnson “dated” (aka preyed) on Melanie when she was 14/15!
^^^YEP! 100%
Okay you basically said what I was trying to say above but a lot better LOL.
I feel like she thinks of cancel culture on a superficial level. You can do bad things and when call out you apologize and change course and eventually people move on. But sexual assault and a lot of other things don’t deserve that.
From what I’ve seen, she is not very talented – but I’ve heard she is good in The Lost Daughter. In interviews she just seems really… bland? Maybe it’s good for her to be low-key personality-wise because she owes all of her success to her parents and doesn’t want to draw much attention.
Also, she says gypsy is glamorizing but I thought the term was also offensive. I’m not saying she uses it regularly- I know her mom used it- but I hope she stops because it’s denigrating and not because it doesn’t fit with her view of her life.
The Lost Daughter was pretty good in spite of her.
Agreed. She was very forgettable in that role.
Her comments about the Anne role are even dumber than her silly thoughts on The Last Daughter. Anne is a serious woman. She was is not coy and mischievous. Austen wasn’t known as a card. Dakota should actually read the book next time before she comments. She is not very sharp.
I read this article, and it was so eye-rolly to me. They make her out to be this person that is so magnetic and effortlessly cool…and it just does not come across to me in any of her work. I heard good things about her in The Lost Daughter, so I thought, this is where I’m finally going to see what she can do. She was fine, but ultimately, Olivia Coleman carried their scenes.
From my perspective, she has a lot of hype, but it seems rooted in Hollywood establishment-nepotism. Like her fame was inevitable because of her family legacy, so now we all have to believe that it is justified by her talent.
This – “she has a lot of hype, but it seems rooted in Hollywood establishment-nepotism. Like her fame was inevitable because of her family legacy, so now we all have to believe that it is justified by her talent.”
100% agree. It’s like we’re told she’s super cool and talented and you just have to believe that and if you don’t then oh well, you’re missing something. Isn’t she also someone who insists nepotism doesn’t exist in Hollywood? LOL.
Everyone brings up her appearance on Ellen, when she “burned” Ellen or whatever, bc Ellen made some comment about not being invited to her party and Dakota was like “you were invited” and that was it. People mention that constantly as proof of how cool she is etc.
and when I watched the clip, I just thought, okay? She corrected Ellen but she wasn’t even mean about it or anything, and then the interview moved on. But I feel that way about Dakota Johnson in general. Like everything about her is blown up to be this HUGE thing (her talent, her “coolness,” etc) and then I’m always like, she’s okay? I don’t hate her, I don’t think she’s the worst, but she’s just not worth the hype IMO.
I completely agree with your comments, Becks!
I want to like her, but she has this weird habit of inadvertently defending pervs and abusers.
Annnnnd now I don’t like her.
Refusing to pay or support the work of abusers is a solid move. In every way. Whatever Dakota.
Agreed! Who even uses that term but MAGAs?
An adult choosing to abuse his partner or anyone else is not a “mistake.” It’s a choice.
As far as “Cancel Culture” goes calling out deviants, abusers and racist is good in my book and I will always do it. Like someone commented that they won’t see that Amsterdam movie because Davis O. Russell directed it, same here. F*ck these horrible people who treat people horribly. She’s right about Twitter and it’s stake/place in our culture. There is a small subset of our culture that share their opinions and many of us think that is the world view. It is not. I’m trying to move away from Twitter and social media as a whole.
Me too! I feel like I’m in a Twitter bubble and I have no real feel for what is going on outside of it. I have drastically cut down my time there.
I just want to say to white people stop talking about woke and cancel culture you don’t know what you’re talking about.
The only white people who use those terms are Trump voters. They do it all the time.
I don’t think she’s actively defending people but the mush mouth thing is disappointing.
Cancel culture isn’t a thing for the people who others claim are victims of it. If anything, Amber Heard is a victim of it, etc.
Her words on the trial are better than many of her peers’, sad to say.
I think she doesn’t understand what she’s talking about is the issue.
I wonder if she would agree that Hitchcock should be cancelled for what he did to her grandmother.
You make a good point – her words about Depp trial WERE a lot better than most of her peers. And that is sad, but it’s true.
I don’t hear any support for Amber in those remarks. Alas. Saying it’s all bad is a false equivalency
She’s talked about Hitchcock and iirc said his art should still be respected and he was a great director.
I used to love his movies, but now, it’s too gross. Having been assaulted myself. It’s evil and he never apologized or anything.
I googled this and she said “It’s completely unacceptable for people in a position of power to wield that power over someone in a weaker position, no matter the industry”, which is just so ironic I could laugh.
Also, the Depp stans and bots are screaming about her on social media for not “supporting her friend”, so maybe she’ll find out what actual “cancel culture” is pretty soon.
How is she going to use a massive slur and no one is calling her out for it? Completely and utterly gross.
The “seal watching” was not cool of Chris. There’s a difference between being playful and sweet, and acting like a man-bro who tells his too dumb to think woman-girlfriend that’s yes, those are seals in the Malibu waters.
Privileged bland actor telling us again she’s privileged and not very smart. The couple of things I’ve seen her in convince me she’s highly overrated.
It really irks me when celebrities get up in arms about cancel culture – because seriously – WHO actually seriously gets cancelled? Louis CK came back. Johnny Depp is FINE. JK Rowling will still write and still be published and still be incredibly successful. Twitter can hashtag SO AND SO IS CANCELLED but what does it all actually amount to with these incredibly powerful people? Especially men? Not a lot I don’t think. So please let’s calm the F down with being heartbroken and horrified about cancel culture. The people with power mostly hold on to their power just fine and don’t need any additional protection above their IMMENSE privilege.
Weinstein cancelled women.
Ridley Scott cancelled Sean Young.
I’ve heard Sleet Ulrich was blocked from roles for standing up against misogyny.
People in power have always cancelled others. Now it’s democratic and in the hands of the masses and they hate it.
Never particularly cared for Dakota, she’s not winning me over here either.
The only people i’ve heard of being ‘canceled’ are women. The Dixie Chicks comes to mind. Kathy Griffiths.
Name one man that’s actually been canceled. Not Cosby. Louis CK. Johnny Depp. Woody Allen. Roman Polanski Really all that hand wringing over it is abusers and horrible people not wanting to get called out on their BS.
Not Clarence Thomas. Not Brett Kavanaugh.
Yes! Even Kevin Spacey has 4 projects being made in 2022? WHO is actually being cancelled (other than women who are victims of abuse, as detritus and Scal noted above)?
I wonder if she’d still be so against cancel culture if she didn’t rely on any “cancelled” or potentially cancelled people for income.
Siiiiiiiiigh. It is WILD to me that in the year 2022, celebs don’t have have something boilerplate to say about “cancel culture” crafted by their PR and rehearsed. Then again, say your dumb shit so that we all know what you really think.
Cancel culture can be so extreme. The only ones getting cancelled are the ones who are going to jail. The rest are still working. Just low key. Movies are coming out shortly. She’s annoying. She’s an okay actress. She looks like Don Johnson with a wig. She’s seems comfortable working with some shady people. I’ve side-eyed her for a while. I like Persuasion. She wouldn’t have been my first or fiftieth choice for Anne Elliot. But it’s Jane Austen. But I don’t like the complaining cancel culture people. Some actions are pretty abhorrent.
Men survive cancel culture and come back within a few years. Cancel culture is not strong enough
I’m sure Dakota’s having grown up in Hollywood and seen all the behavior that goes on there influences her opinion here. People look at the privilege, but forget how precarious Hollywood careers are and how hard it would be to go back to a “civilian” life. There is a reason why they band together to guard against it happening to each other. I’ve been around long enough that I never really expect someone’s family and friends to abandon them.
Also, she’s an actress. She bounced around movie sets and started working as soon as she graduated high school. She’s not stupid, but also didn’t get the theoretical underpinning of leftist thought that underpins a lot of Twitter rhetoric. You can just hear it in the wording of her answer, she’s running on vibes, the word “cancel” sounds bad and ugly. Duh, that’s why the conservatives chose “cancel culture” as the term for accountability for the powerful. I’m feeling judgey about the interviewer for using it. You are asking for the answer Dakota gave. You’d get a completely different answer if you asked her how she felt about Me Too and women being able to be open about their experiences with sexual violence.
I really like Dakota and think she is growing as an actress. Her cancel comments were at least somewhat nuanced. But I am truly tired of privileged white people (I am one of those) decrying “cancel culture”. Meanwhile, guns are valued above human lives, Roe is overturned by a rogue Supreme Court, voter suppression is rampant, so many terrible things happening now that need urgent attention. Cancel Culture is FINE – and necessary.
I am so sick and tired of famous rich mothers*ckers complaining about, ‘cancel culture.’ Humans have been boycotting since the dawn of time. It’s part of what makes us human: we get to choose. Kids fight and argue and ultimately choose different friends. I don’t like certain stores so I don’t shop there lmao. It’s my decision who I listen to, where I shop, what my entertainment is …….. It really sucks when people put each other down, and now that everything’s public we all get to see it, yay. If you made your living being controversial before the 2000s, you’re going to have to adjust. So f*cking sorry.
You’re absolutely right that people have been boycotting since the beginning of time. People have been doing it individually, and as large groups – when scandals become well-known. However, there’s a small section of society (rich people, employers) who have had the ability to control and even end people’s careers long before so-called “cancel culture” existed. It used to be done with “morals clauses” in people’s contracts, for example. That’s control. As someone upthread correctly stated, the primary difference now is that the ability to say “No, I won’t support this person’s career” by paying for their books, movies, albums, etc. is now in the public’s hands, as well as a declaration of the reason for such boycott. Let’s not forget that people still have the ability to decide for themselves that, “No, I agree that this one’s actions are problematic but, to me, they don’t rise to the level of cancellation based on just this.” No one has to follow the crowd.
She just seems like a spoiled smug brat who’s never faced any degree of oppression or prejudice
She’s kind of interesting to watch when she’s putting Ellen in her place on her show.
But in actual interviews you can tell she’s highly restricted to her own worldview.
Chris Martin has a type in that sense, I guess.
She’s one of those people who I wouldn’t think is dumb until she talks a little too much.
On the other hand, she’s related to or connected in some other way to a lot of strange people so I can’t expect her to really hold any other opinion. If she thought too hard about the people she’s connected to, she’d probably have a nervous breakdown. So I probably shouldn’t be too harsh.
Clueless. Please stop.
“But we also struggled with internal family dynamics and situations and events that are so traumatic.” – I would like to hear more about this.
I see she’s getting into filler culture instead.
I think accountability online is good. There’s very little accountability for abusers, rapists, etc. elsewhere. Look at the rates of conviction – some are in the 1% range. The public sphere is often the only sphere where powerful people must answer for themselves. And taking stock of your actions, beliefs, attitudes, etc. is also no a bad thing. If you did something shitty, you should have to own up to it. As for getting “cancelled” for a faux pas or something, just don’t engage with it. Lick your wounds and let it pass. The internet may have a long memory but it has a short attention span!