It may have taken some people a while, but it looks as if Ryan Gosling has shown that he’s Kenough. While there is much commotion around nomination snubs for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig for Barbie, Gosling would make a statement that showed his gratitude for the recognition. But mainly, he would also defend and praise his co-star and director in the wake of them receiving no nominations. While Gosling stood by Robbie and Gerwig, Gosling’s better half, Eva Mendes, would show her excitement as his nomination became a catharsis for the backlash he would receive upon first getting cast in the role of Ken. Many had voiced their opinion on social media that Gosling was too old to portray Ken.

According to Variety, Mendes took to her Instagram to post a photo of a Rolling Stone article that featured the headline, “Sorry to be the one to say it, but Ryan Gosling is giving major cringe as Ken in Barbie.” In Mendes’ post, she wrote the caption, “So proud of my man. So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it. Despite all the #NotMyKen ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars. So beyond proud to be this Ken’s Barbie.”

Last summer, prior to the film’s premiere, Gosling himself responded to online critics who mocked his age as he dryly joked with GQ, “I would say, you know, if people don’t want to play with my Ken, there are many other Kens to play with. It is funny. This kind of clutching-your-pearls idea of, like, #notmyken. Like you ever thought about Ken before this?” The humorous star would continue, “Ken’s entire existence has been to just enjoy the beach and not really exist for any sake other than to be Barbie’s guy. And everyone was fine with that, for him to have a job that is nothing. But suddenly, it’s like, ‘No, we’ve cared about Ken this whole time.’ No, you didn’t. You never did. You never cared. Barbie never f*cked with Ken. That’s the point. If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed. This is why his story must be told.”

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