Timothée Chalamet has made no secret about his aspirations for greatness within the world of acting, but as the three-time Best Actor Oscar nominee’s star continues to rise, he’s also getting a lesson in how much weight his words carry. The actor is seen as pretentious by some, and he faced a lot of backlash in March for saying “no one cares about” the opera or ballet anymore. Now Chalamet’s mother has spoken out about his relationship to the ballet, adding another wrinkle to all the controversy.
When Timothée Chalamet makes comments about performing arts — and ballet specifically — he’s speaking about a topic that’s very close to his family. In fact, his mom, Nicole Flender, and sister, Pauline Chalamet, were professionally trained ballerinas, unlike Timothée, who apparently marched to the beat of a very different drum. People caught up with Flender at the American Ballet Theatre’s 2026 Spring Gala, where she discussed ballet’s importance in her life:
