Before her first leading film role premiered, Steph Curry’s wife, Ayesha Curry, got a public cheer from the man who knows her best.
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“My Leading Lady,” Curry posted. “I get to see the work behind the scenes and now the world gets to see you shine.”
Since Second Chance Holiday hit Roku on Thursday, a kiss scene has drawn plenty of criticism. NBA announcer Eddie A. Johnson has now answered the critics on her behalf.
“Got you! Just go sit in the stands and be a trophy!” Johnson wrote on X. “I applaud women who chase their dreams to be cheered in their household. Instead of being cheered for household duties! Steph understands!”
Johnson’s post is sarcasm aimed at fans who objected to the film, and it is built around one idea: that the people complaining want Ayesha to stay in the background. By saying “Steph understands,” he also points to the Warriors star’s own public support.
The criticism started when a clip of Ayesha kissing co-star Matthew Daddario spread online after the premiere. She stars as Chelsey, a dating expert determined to break her “curse” of getting dumped every holiday season, and the kiss comes from a reunion with her high school flame. Directed by Maxwell McGuire, the movie is her first leading role in a feature film.
Ayesha has already responded herself.
“It’s not even real you guys are annoying,” she tweeted.
It was a short reply that framed the scene as part of the job. Johnson’s post goes a step further by arguing the real issue is not the movie at all.
The backlash did not begin with the premiere. When Roku released the trailer, some fans questioned why she would take on a romantic storyline while married to Steph. Others made jokes at the couple’s expense. None of those comments came with any reported evidence of trouble in the marriage, and Steph’s own message has been the opposite.
Johnson is not the only one making this argument. Former ESPN host Jemele Hill said the debate around Ayesha is “rooted in a weird sort of misogyny,” arguing that critics are upset because she will not let her entire identity be wrapped up in her husband.
That view fits the long history of reaction to Ayesha’s career. She was a cookbook author, restaurateur and television host long before Second Chance Holiday, and she had already appeared in Netflix’s Irish Wish and Hulu’s Joy to the World. When Roku announced the film in July, she said there is “something truly magical about holiday rom-coms,” which is how she has described the project from the beginning.
For now, the film is streaming, the Currys have not changed their public message, and the debate has become part of the movie’s promotion. Johnson’s post may not end it, but it captures the argument in one line: she should not have to sit in the stands to be accepted.