Jimmy Fallon is facing criticism online following a recent episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in which he referred to actress Hunter Schafer as "bud" during their conversation. The remark, made while Schafer appeared to promote The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, sparked debate on social media over tone, language and how transgender women are addressed in public settings.
Schafer was discussing her personal connection to the Hunger Games franchise, recalling that she had loved the series as a child and once designed her own Halloween costume inspired by the Capitol's extravagant fashion. Fallon shared a childhood photo of her dressed in an elaborate look, to which Schafer explained she had been "obsessed" with the style of the Capitol characters.
Fallon reacted with enthusiasm, telling Schafer, "Oh, fun! It's unbelievable! This is really cool, now you're in Hunger Games - as a Capitol person!" He then held up a promotional still of Schafer in character and added, "Look at you! Congratulations, bud!"
While Schafer did not visibly react to the phrasing during the interview, many viewers did. On social media, some users objected to the casual nickname, arguing that the term "bud" is commonly associated with male friendships and can feel diminishing or misgendering when directed toward a transgender woman. One viewer wrote that the word was "damn near a slur for trans women." Another said, "Absolutely stunning woman, and he calls her 'bud'." A third commented, "I literally can't stand it when people call me bud. It's so degrading and it really shows that they don't see me (or Hunter or any trans woman) as a woman!"
India Willoughby, the UK's first transgender national television newsreader, also weighed in, asking Fallon directly, "Why are you calling her 'bud'? Expect better."
However, others defended Fallon's use of the term, noting that he frequently uses "bud" with guests, including cisgender women, and arguing that the backlash was misplaced. One commenter wrote, "I've never thought of 'bud' as a gendered term. These comments just want to make him look bad. He did nothing wrong." Another noted, "There are clips of him calling Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Drew Barrymore 'bud.'"
Writer Gillian Branstetter also voiced concern about the intensity of the criticism, saying on X that "your outrage at this sort of thing makes it harder, not easier, for trans women to reach these kinds of platforms because the industry just decides it's not worth it."
Neither Fallon nor Schafer has publicly addressed the reaction.
