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'The Devil Wears Prada 2' sparks debate over Asian stereotypes and fans are not happy

Days before release, 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' faces unexpected backlash over an awkward portrayal of a new character.

Note: This article contains the fans' reaction

'The Devil Wears Prada 2' is just days away from its release, and the universally warm anticipation has suddenly turned heated over the portrayal of a new character. Jin Chao, played by Helen J. Shen, was introduced in a clip shared on April 16, 2026, with the caption: "The former assistant’s new assistant." In the video, she introduces herself to  Andrea ‘Andy’ Sachs (Anne Hathaway), who is now Runway's features editor. However, she fails to understand Andy's demeanor and starts questioning her competency, while tossing off her credentials. "If you don't want me, you can interview someone else. That's totally fine," she says, before Andy calms her down.

The video gained over 26 million views on X, but the portrayal of Jin Chao has sparked backlash online for fueling the "nerdy asian" stereotype. People argued that this awkward, overly academic, and unfashionable representation of an asian woman is an age-old Hollywood trend that has no place in contemporary cinema. A user on X wrote, "This movie literally did this stereotype meme," with a stuffed toy wearing specs.  

"I was planning to watch this movie, but after seeing the trailer, I found it racist, so I’ve decided not to see it," wrote another user on X. "It’s a movie made for white women, so of course they used an unattractive and awkward actress to represent the Asian woman. They are a huge threat when they are smart, successful, slim, and attractive, and too many of them are in the real world," wrote another one. Many people also shared disappointment over the character's name, which they pointed out resembled a racial slur. It led to further criticism, calling the depiction intentionally offensive and racist. "You Chin chow lmfao, you call a Chinese Chin Chow? Do you dare to design a black character who names Negar? There are so many names to pick as a Chinese name, why you guys pick one similar to 'Chingchong'?" A user expressed their opinion about the character's name. 

There were several such kinds of comments about the character's name under the video. People pointed out that this depiction may cost the studio a lot of money as a large share of the box office depends on asian markets. "Racist name? Check. Cheap stereotypes? Check. And that's your "thank you" to your most crucial overseas box office market? You had a goldmine — fans ready to cheer for the classic. Instead, you spat in our face. Now? That goldmine is dust. Your loss. Your fault," shared one. 

There have been no comments from the studio or the makers on this matter as of yet. But they have found some support online as well. Korean American filmmaker Joseph Kahn supported the film, calling the depiction a caricature of Gen Zs, not Asians. However, his tweet did not find much support in the comment section. 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' is scheduled to be released globally on May 1, 2026. Directed by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna. Besides Hathaway, the story would bring back the iconic characters: Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) back on the silver screen after 20 years.