Did RFK Jr Say 'Odyssey' is for 'Gays and Cowards'? Fact-Checking Viral Video

The film itself faced backlash for its diverse casting, prompting director Christopher Nolan to label the pre-release criticism as irrelevant.

A viral video appearing to show US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr criticising Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey has spread widely on social media, despite there being no evidence he made the remarks. The clip, which has been viewed about 1.5 million times on X, features what appears to be Kennedy saying: “If you like The Odyssey I have news for you, and you might want to sit down for this. “We did some research and found out that the producers marketed it towards gay men and cowards specifically.”

The video then cuts to a black screen displaying the definition: “Unreal: lacking in reality, substance, or genuineness.”

The post originated from an X account that describes itself as “mostly satire”. An X Community Note attached to the post states: “No reports of RFK Jr. criticizing Nolan’s The Odyssey exist.” Responding to the fact-check, the account wrote that such Community Notes on memes “ruin the joke and the reach”.

The film, based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem, follows Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, on his journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters mythical figures including the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and Calypso.

Before its release, The Odyssey became the focus of online criticism from several prominent right-wing commentators over the casting of Black and transgender actors, including Lupita Nyong’o, Travis Scott and Elliot Page.

The backlash prompted the film’s official social media accounts to restrict comments on some posts.

Christopher Nolan dismissed the criticism before the film’s release, describing it as “irrelevant”. “Comes with the territory,” the Oscar-winning director told The Telegraph. “These conversations that happen before people see the film—they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet.”

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