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Sara Ramirez slams recent interview as an 'attempt to mock' them and Che Diaz

Chrissy Callahan
4 min read
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Sara Ramirez called a recent profile written about them a “hack job” — and said, in detail, why.

The actor, who stars in the “Sex and the City” reboot “And Just Like That... ,” posted a lengthy reaction to the profile on Instagram, calling it an “attempt to mock” them and their character, Che Diaz.

Che, a nonbinary standup comedian, was introduced in Season One of “And Just Like That…” as Carrie Bradshaw’s podcast boss and the “other person” in Miranda’s marriage to Steve. Miranda eventually leaves Steve for Che, prompting uproar among fans. More than the original friends, and even more than the absent Samantha, Che was arguably the most talked-about figure in the “Sex and the City” reboot.

Sara Ramirez  (Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images)
Sara Ramirez (Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images)

At the start of the caption, Ramirez said the writer “asked (them) serious questions but expected a comedic response.” They continued, “Here’s the good news: I have a dry sense of humor and a voice. And I am not afraid to use either.”

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Ramirez didn’t name the publication where the profile appeared, but references in the caption suggest that they are referring to an article that ran in The Cut in June written by Brock Colyar who, as Ramirez said, is a “white Gen-Z non-binary person.”

The photo accompanying the Instagram post also nodded to the profile: It was taken during the photoshoot and ran in the magazine.

New York Magazine and The Cut did not have comment for TODAY.com.

Ramirez suggested that the profile was “an attempt to mock (their) thoughtfulness and softness, while dismissing a valid existence and real human being in favor of TV show critiques that belonged elsewhere.”

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Ramirez suggested that they were taking the fall for a character they did not create. “And Just Like That…” was created by Michael Patrick King and Ramirez is not a writer on the show.

“When a cis man is in charge and has ultimate control of dialogue actors say, and you have a valid problem with it, perhaps you should be interviewing him,” they wrote.

Writer Samantha Irby, who was in the “And Just Like That…” writers’ rooms for seasons one and two, addressed the Che backlash in an interview with Vulture (which, like The Cut, is published by New York Magazine.

“I hope Sara Ramirez didn’t take it personally, but like the vitriol for a person who does not exist was unbelievable,” Irby said.

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The profile draws a line connecting Ramirez and their “AJLT” character, suggesting the lines between them may be blurred. After listening to Ramreiz speak about the history of the word “bisexual” and the idea of “holding space,” Brock writes, “It’s all a bit heavy, or maybe just heavy-handed, and very … Che Diaz.”

Ramirez offered the following response: “I’m an actor. I’m not the characters I play. I’m not Che Diaz.”

“I am a human being, an artist, an actor. And we are living in a world that has become increasingly hostile toward anyone who dares to free themselves from the gender binary, or disrupt the mainstream,” they continued.

The Cut profile ends with the writer saying they doubted that Ramirez, like Che, would enjoy “lighting up in inappropriate places.” They wrote, “though I did happen to have a joint on me in the park, I didn’t offer it to them. I wasn’t sure they would get the joke, or think it funny.”

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In their Instagram reaction post, Ramirez responded to the end of the profile, writing “Further proof that this ‘writer’ knows little more about me than a Google search provides, I would have happily smoked that joint with them.”

This is hardly the first time Ramirez has addressed criticism of their “And Just Like That...” character. In 2022, they brushed off Che haters in an interview with The New York Times.

“I’m very aware of the hate that exists online, but I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry. And that’s way more important to me because I’m a real human being,” they said.

Ramirez said they were “really proud of the representation” that the show had created and described their character as “a human being, who is imperfect, who’s complex, who is not here to be liked, who’s not here for anybody’s approval.”

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Ramirez also addressed Che’s reception in The Cut profile in question, saying, “I think there are people like Che out in the world, and I think that opinions about whether Che is representing an authentically queer person or not is not for me to answer.”

“And Just Like That…” was renewed for a third season.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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