A-list actress Cate Blanchett faced criticism on Thursday for asserting she is a member of the middle class, despite her estimated net worth of $95 million. The 55-year-old Oscar-winner met backlash after making the statement during a panel discussion at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Participating in the panel to promote her latest movie, Rumors, the Ocean’s 8 star also identified herself as “white” and “privileged.”
“I’m white, I’m privileged, I’m middle class and I think one can be accused of having a bit of a white savior complex,” she said from the stage.
Blanchett’s remarks purportedly came during a discussion on her interactions with refugee film directors, where she expressed how meeting refugees has “changed” her life.
“But to be perfectly honest, my interaction with refugees in the field and also in resettled environments has totally changed my perspective on the world, and I’m utterly grateful for that,” she shared.
However, despite her focus on refugees, fans were quick to critique her statement about belonging to the middle class given her substantial wealth.
Fans were taken aback by Blanchett’s assertion of being middle class despite her $95 million fortune.
Others voiced less restraint in their criticism. One user on X criticized Blanchett, writing, “She is disconnected from reality.”
She is disconnected from reality.
— Roman Empire (@ThuleSocieties) May 22, 2024
Another person humorously commented, “The celebrity bubble is hilarious.”
The celebrity bubble is hilarious.
— Rogelio Borgia (@ContraSocialist) May 22, 2024
Blanchett owns multiple properties, including a $4.5 million mansion in East Sussex, UK, which she acquired in 2016. The 9,000-square-foot residence, built in 1890, was previously owned by Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Earlier this year, she sold her home in Melbourne, Australia, for over $3 million.
