Timothée Chalamet made a comment earlier this year about ballet and opera that many people found controversial.
The remarks, which went viral quickly, ended up bringing unexpected attention to both art forms.
During a public talk with Matthew McConaughey in Texas, the 30-year-old star said he would not want to work in areas where the focus is mainly on keeping old art forms alive, and he mentioned ballet and opera while speaking.
Chalamet later clarified that he meant no disrespect but the comment still caused backlash from parts of the performing arts world.
After this, many performers and organisations spoke up to defend ballet and opera, saying these art forms are still very much alive and important today.
What started as criticism slowly turned into a bigger controversy about how traditional arts fit into modern culture.
One of the biggest reactions came from the Royal Ballet and Opera in London.
Instead of reacting negatively, they used the moment to show their work online and highlight their audience reach, especially among younger people.
Their posts got a huge response, with millions of views and strong engagement on social media and soon after that, they also noticed more people buying tickets for shows.
Other opera groups also took advantage of the attention and promoted their performances in creative ways to attract new audiences.
In the end, the debated comment then turned into a boost for interest in ballet and opera, showing how even criticism can sometimes bring more people to traditional art.
