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Hunter Schafer, the 24-year-old actress famously known for her role in HBO’sEuphoria, recently appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.Taking on the role of Tigris Snow inThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,a prequel toThe Hunger Games, the actress came to promote her recently released movie.
However, her appearance on the talk show soon took a notorious turn after she shared a throwback picture of herself in a Capitol-themed Halloween costume, and Jimmy Fallon called her “bud”. Given that Hunter Schafer is a transgender actress, who identifies as female, fans felt outraged with Fallon’s choice of words.
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Jimmy Fallon Called Hunter Schafer “Bud” on His Talk Show
Rising to prominence after starring in the HBO high school dramaEuphoria, Hunter Schafer recently took on the role of Tigris Snow inThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Appearing to promote her latest film onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the actress admitted to being a huge fan ofThe Hunger Games.
Obsessed with the original Jennifer Lawrence-ledHunger Gamestrilogy, Hunter Schafer finally got the opportunity to appear in a prequel to the movie. Thus, appearing on the talk show, the actress disclosed how she used to dress up in a Capitol-themed Halloween costume during her childhood.
“For Halloween, I was obsessed with how the capitol people were in costume and made my own costume.” Schafer shared.
“Oh bud, it’s unbelievable! This is really cool, now you’re in Hunger Games — as a capitol person!” Fallon replied.
“It’s crazy” Schafer admitted.
“Look at you! Congratulations, bud!” Fallon said.
This particular conversation turned into a massive issue, as viewers and netizens started taking offense atJimmy Fallon‘s choice of words in front of Hunter Schafer. Given that the actress is a transgender, who identifies as a woman, Fallon’s diction was considered offensive. Especially since “bud” is often considered a masculine connotation.
Also read:“He looks embarrassed then defensive then heartbroken”: Fans Can’t Get Enough of Nicole Kidman’s Strange Dinner With Jimmy Fallon, Whom She Wanted to Date
Fans Are Outraged With Jimmy Fallon’s Choice Of Words
AlthoughHunter Schaferappeared unfazed by it, others thought that it was inappropriate for Jimmy Fallon to use masculine connotations, especially since the actress identifies as a woman. Netizens gathered on social media to criticize Fallon and even went ahead to cancel the host for his innocuous comment.
However, not all were against Jimmy Fallon; a few people even considered it an honest mistake, while others simply felt it was no big deal. But Twitterattis shared their opinions and views onX, with people arguing that Fallon didn’t use the word “bud” as a gender-specific term, for he often uses bud for even cisgender women.
jimmy fallon calling hunter schafer “bud” i am going to [redacted]
— LsiesOfficial (@lsiesOfficial)July 08, 2025
as if i didn’t have reason enough to hate Fallon, he takes this opportunity to show that he doesn’t see Hunter as the beautiful, immaculate queen sitting before him
to my cis readers, i hope you don’t see this as an overreaction—bud/buddy is unquestionably male-codedhttps://t.co/gzrf9cIHCk
— TheAllergyGirl 💜🌻🏳️⚧️ (@thearain60)August 02, 2025
“bud is gender neutral”
a slight minority of people might say it in a gender neutral way. but you obviously know it’s used exclusively for men most the time.
even if Hunter isn’t bothered, it’s still gross and telling of how Fallon views trans women.https://t.co/qRvY1CpQfu
— vivvyjeans (@dollarnuftynuf)June 24, 2025
https://twitter.com/pinkhasivna/status/1726714903996887467
hes literally called taylor swift and ariana grande (two cisgender women) bud before and this is no different??? i would get it if hunter was uncomfortable but she dgaf 😭https://t.co/XzUjELR8mQ
— j.two 🍬 (@hasansglasses)August 07, 2025
People criticizing Jimmy Fallon bc he called Hunter Schafer bud are total morons. You can call anyone bud. Doesn’t have to be a woman or a man. This is so stupid that anyone would actually care about this with all the shit we have going on in this world this is what’s an issue?
— Adam Ryan (@EUPH0RIC_RUSH)June 19, 2025
The tug of war turned brutal on social media, with a group of people taking offense and willing to cancel Jimmy Fallon, while others stood infavor of the host, especially since Hunter Schafer was totally unbothered. Both celebrities and their representatives refused to comment on the issue.
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Krittika Mukherjee
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Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
