Emily Blunt is facing online criticism after telling unhappy workers to simply quit their jobs — comments that many fans called tone-deaf coming from a Hollywood millionaire.
During a recent appearance on Betches’ “Picture Day” podcast, Ms. Blunt — who reprises her role as Emily Charlton, the harried senior assistant to Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada 2” — was asked if she had any advice for “women who are hating their jobs right now.”
“Quit … no, I think just find something that you deeply want to do,” she said. “Even if you’re earning no money, as long as you love it, you’ll be happy.”
The remarks landed poorly on social media, where commenters were quick to note the gap between the actress’s financial situation and the realities facing most workers. Ms. Blunt has an estimated net worth of $80 million.
“I love when millionaires tell me to quit my job,” one Instagram commenter wrote. Another added: “Genuinely terrible advice in the current job market but I would love to be this delusional and out of touch with reality.” A third kept it brief: “Can’t quit, need to pay rent.”
The backlash carries a certain irony given that Ms. Blunt’s character from the original 2006 film became the face of a viral meme about corporate burnout — an overworked Charlton sitting at her desk and repeating to herself, “I love my job. I love my job. I love my job.”
Not everyone piled on. Some defenders argued the spirit of the advice was sound even if the delivery was impractical.
“Ignore her net worth, and focus on the fact that she is doing what she loves,” one user wrote on X, adding that “gratitude and contentment goes a long way toward satisfaction. You might even learn to hate your job a little bit less.”
Another supporter offered a more personal take: “My job was making me miserable and unwell … I quit and while I know it’s not smart, I’m a better parent and friend without the stress of that job.”
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times’ AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times’ original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
