Ansel Elgort was the subject of a bizarre interview in The Sunday Times magazine Style, in which he took photos of the journalist without her permission and claimed he was in love with his male friends but did not want to have sex with them.
The 25-year-old actor, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his starring role in Edgar Wright’s high-speed thriller Baby Driver, was discussing his role in the film adaptation of The Goldfinch, which has received mostly negative reviews from critics.
Elgort, who stars as the adult Theo Decker in the new film, is first quoted as declaring: “Sometimes the world is too bright,” upon producing a pair of crystal-encrusted sunglasses from a Prada weekend bag.
Later, he asks a waitress if the orange juice is freshly squeezed, “like, right out of the orange? Can I bother you for a tiny sample?” Journalist Ellie Austin observes that he “swirls and sniffs” the juice “as if tasting an expensive Merlot” before announcing: “it’s a no from me.”
Discussing his Instagram account and a series of topless selfies he posted to his 10 million followers earlier this year, Elgort apparently produced his phone and began to discreetly take photos of Austin, who asks him to stop.
“See, you got shy, but I’m capturing the moment,” Elgort says. “It’s a nice image. You look surreal. Your hair is done in a way that is both put-together and relaxed. Your earrings are artistic and tasteful. Your dress looks like a mother’s, so people feel comfortable. You seem sophisticated.”
Austin later tweeted the online version of the interview and said it was “bonkers”. The full article can be found here.
The Goldfinch is in cinemas now.
