Fresh off a wave of praise and awards buzz for One Battle After Another, Teyana Taylor has addressed criticism surrounding her character, Perfidia Beverly Hills, in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film.

Some viewers have described the role as excessively sexualised, a reading Taylor strongly disagrees with. Speaking to Vanity Fair, the actor suggested that the discomfort may stem from audiences confronting an unvarnished reality. “I think we don’t enjoy seeing the harsh reality, but this is what’s happening,” she said.

Taylor recalled being asked directly about claims that Perfidia is “overly horny”, a characterisation she finds baffling. “Do you realise the first thing we see of Perfidia is her having a gun to a guy’s head, and he calls her ‘sweet thing’?” she said, adding pointedly, “Are you—are we watching the same film?”

According to Taylor, Perfidia’s sexuality is not passive or exploitative but strategic. She explained that the character turns the gaze back on Sean Penn’s Col. Lockjaw, using what he assumes is power over her as leverage instead. “Perfidia kind of dived into the ‘Oh, you think I’m hot? All right, bet. “Cool if I get to still do what I’m doing; all I have to do is show you a little titty or something,” Taylor said, framing it as control rather than capitulation.

The conversation comes on the heels of a major milestone in Taylor’s career. Last weekend, she won her first Golden Globe for Supporting Motion Picture Actress – Drama for her performance in One Battle After Another, a film widely expected to feature prominently in the upcoming Oscar nominations.

An American black comedy action thriller film, One Battle After Another is loosely based on and inspired by the 1990 novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. With Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and Chase Infiniti.