Anti-Defamation League says Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ makeup is not antisemitic

As Leonard Bernstein‘s children did last week, the Anti-Defamation League says there’s nothing offensive about Bradley Cooper‘s prosthetic nose as seen in the upcoming Bernstein movie Maestro.

Cooper, who directed and stars in the film as the famed composer, chose a realistic-looking prosthetic nose to more closely approximate the profile of the famed composer — something critics said smacked of “Jewface.”

However, in a statement to Variety, the organization dedicated to fighting bigotry against the Jewish people contended, “Throughout history, Jews were often portrayed in antisemitic films and propaganda as evil caricatures with large, hooked noses. This film … is not that.”

As reported, Bernstein’s three children, Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein, issued a statement of support of both Cooper and his look in the film, saying, “It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts. It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose.”

They continued, “Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that. We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well.”

They further expressed the “love” and “respect” Cooper showed for their father and mother, Felicia, played by Carey Mulligan in the film, about their decadeslong relationship. “We feel so fortunate to have had this experience with Bradley, and we can’t wait for the world to see his creation,” they concluded.

Maestro, which premieres September 2 at the Venice Film Festival, opens in select theaters in November before debuting December 20 on Netflix.

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