‘Wish’ Star Ariana DeBose Fuming After Being Called ‘Actor Who Also Thinks They Can Sing’

Sometimes, Awards Season just goes a little too long. Show after show, giving out awards to basically the same television shows and movies. And every once in a while, the awards shows just run out of things to say, and that’s when it gets dangerous. That’s precisely what happened at the Critic’s Choice Awards.

When it came time to give out the award for Best Song, The Last of Us, and Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey and Hamilton (2020) and In the Heights (2021), star Anthony Ramos took the stage to introduce the nominees. After some brief banter back and forth, the duo listed Wish (2023) star Ariana DeBose among the list of “actors who also think they are singers.”

The camera immediately panned to DeBose, who looked confused and shocked by the joke before cracking a small smile and laughing. But after the show, DeBose posted on her Instagram story, “No I didn’t find it funny. Lol.”

The joke had been written for Ramsey and Ramos, but clearly, Ramsey did not know DeBose’s background. She started her career as a singer and dancer on Broadway in 2011’s Bring It On The Musical. In 2018, she received a Tony Award nomination for playing Disco Donna in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. 

Ariana DeBose reacts to Bella Ramsey’s joke naming her as an actor who ‘also thinks they're a singer’ at the #CriticsChoice:

“No I didn't find it funny. Lol” pic.twitter.com/phEmrps7TL

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 15, 2024

DeBose also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Anita in West Side Story (2021), a role that requires a great deal of singing.

While Bella Ramsey might be excused for not knowing DeBose’s musical history, social media does not excuse Anthony Ramos. Among her many roles on Broadway, Ariana DeBose was in the original ensemble for Hamilton, which also starred Ramos as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton.

Besides DeBose, Ramsey also labeled Jack Black and Ryan Gosling as “actors who also think they are singers.” Ariana DeBose was nominated for “The Wish” from Disney’s Wish (2023), while Black was nominated for “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023), and Gosling was nominated for “Just Ken” from Barbie (2023). 

THIS Ariana DeBose? Lead singer of my favorite number in one of the most traumatizing musicals of all time ARIANA DEBOSE?

Yeah idc if it was written for them they should have skipped that joke. https://t.co/eTF2zgL3vx pic.twitter.com/3aTmW9PO7W

— Cindy | #CowboyCarter Lyric Bot Era (@queertvnerd) January 15, 2024

Other nominees included Lenny Kravitz, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish, who won the Golden Globe for her song “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie. Ironically enough, after the joke, Gosling ended up winning the award. The actor who thinks he’s a singer won for Best Song.

Despite the backlash from the joke, Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose still had the support of her fans on social media, who immediately came to her defense. Fans quickly pointed out that the Boardway star received a Tony Award nomination and an Oscar Award for her work in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.