‘Spoiled brat’ Jennifer Lawrence hits back at claims she was ‘rude’ to Joanna Lumley at the BAFTAs as she likens their ‘inside joke’ to a Mean Girls situation

Jennifer Lawrence hit back at claims she was a ‘rude’, ‘spoiled brat’ after she made a comment to BAFTAs host Joanna Lumley onstage on Sunday night.

The 32-year-old was accused of being discourteous after Joanna called her ‘the hottest woman on the planet’ and she said her words were ‘too much.’

However, the actress said that she and Joanna, 76, were having an ‘inside joke’ that people just didn’t get.

‘Spoiled brat’ Jennifer Lawrence hits back at claims she was ‘rude’ to Joanna Lumley at the BAFTAs – during an interview with Magic on Monday, she likened their ‘inside joke’ to a Mean Girls situation

Talking to Ronan Keating on the Magic Radio Breakfast show, the morning after, Jennifer said she was keen to clear up some confusion and compared the situation to the Mean Girls movie.

She said: ‘Everybody thought that I was being rude. But to be fair, I couldn’t have just walked out after she was like, “biggest movie star in the world!!”

‘And I’d just walked out and gone “thank you Joanna”. It would have been like, “so you agree? You think you’re really pretty!”.’

Awkward: Joanna had introduced Jennifer as being the ‘hottest actress on the planet’ and Jennifer said: ‘that was a bit much but thank you Joanna’

Jennifer explained that the pair were actually backstage joking moments before about how Joanna could introduce her.

She said: ‘It was an inside joke. She went on and said all these really nice things about me and then when I got up to the podium, I was like “that was a bit much”.

‘After I just spent all backstage telling her how to be really nice to me. I wasn’t being rude, it was an inside joke’

Joanna was presenting the show for the first time after taking over from long-term host Stephen Fry.

She introduced Jennifer as the ‘hottest actress on the planet’ ahead of her presenting the Best British Film gong.

Not pleasing everyone: Jennifer was presenting the award for Best Film, which was picked up by Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

No words: Joanna quietly watched Jennifer from the side of the stage after her flippant comment – which she has now said was an ‘inside joke’ between the two of them

Kicking off the show, she said: ‘Right let’s start giving out some of those beautiful BAFTAs shall we?

‘And we start with the award for Outstanding British Film and who better to kick the whole evening off than the hottest actress on the planet.

‘Soon to be seen in Red Sparrow, it’s the ravishing Jennifer Lawrence.’

Jennifer, 27, walked onstage wearing a black gown with contrasting white chiffon sleeves and said: ‘Hi. That was a bit much, but thank you Joanna.’

Inside joke: However, the actress said that she and Joanna, 71, were having an ‘inside joke’ that people just didn’t get

Jolly: Talking to Ronan Keating on the Magic Radio Breakfast show, the morning after, Jennifer said she was keen to clear up some confusion and compared the situation to the Mean Girls movie

Having fun: She said: ‘Everybody thought that I was being rude. But to be fair, I couldn’t have just walked out after she was like, “biggest movie star in the world!!”

No shade: She added: ‘And I’d just walked out and gone “thank you Joanna”. It would have been like, “so you agree? You think you’re really pretty!”‘

Jokes: Jennifer explained that the pair were actually backstage joking moments before about how Joanna could introduce her

While it may have been meant as a joke, viewers went wild on Twitter in shocked over Jennifer’s words and tone.

They wrote: ‘Never liked Jennifer Lawrence. (Joan Rivers was right when she nicknamed her ‘Miss Arrogance’) and she was so rude to Joanna Lumley last night.

‘I think Joanna meant hottest as in most in demand not in looks. Either way, Jennifer came off as a stuck up brat.’

Her moment: Jennifer had a big smile on her face as she walked onto the stage with the gong in hand

Brilliant: Joanna was ever the professional as she took to her presenting duties with ease

New: Joanna was presenting the show for the first time since taking over hosting duties from Stephen Fry

‘It looked really bad. Jennifer Lawrence came off as snippy and churlish. I thought Joanna Lumley was being sincere and lovely. I’ve not been a fan of JL.

‘Now officially *overexposed* in my book. Two good performances. That’s about it. Now Lawrence behaves entitled.’

‘Jennifer lawrence was rude to joanna lumley who the F*** does she think she is. this is the last straw.’

‘I never been so angry as to actually tweet about a celebrity, but that comment to Joanna Lumley was hugely discourteous!!!

‘Get some manners #JenniferLawrence and grow up. You came across as a spoilt brat! Joanna Lumley is thee most kindest lady in your industry. Shame on you!’

‘Jennifer Lawrence was unnecessarily rude then wasn’t she? #EEBAFTAs didn’t think there was any need for that reply to Joanna Lumley.’

‘Unnecessarily rude’: Twitter went wild over how they viewed Jennifer’s behaviour towards Joanna

‘Hahaa, who does Jennifer Lawrence think she is?? Stuck up c**. If I was Joanna Lumley I know exactly where I’d stick that #BAFTA #EEBAFTAs.’

Ahead of her presenting duties, Joanna had said: ‘Honestly how exciting is this? It’s just so unbelievably thrilling. I always looked at the BAFTA Awards with Stephen Fry there forever more, so who thought I’d turn into Stephen Fry? I said yes indecently quickly. Thank you, thank you, I’ll see you on the night.

And after stepping down from his coveted position, Stephen Fry said: ‘Every one of the 12 BAFTA film award ceremonies that I had the privilege of hosting has a place in my memory.

‘The mixture of glamour, glory, drama and – occasionally – embarrassment and hiccup holds a unique place in the British film calendar.’

Meanwhile, some people thought that Jennifer’s comments were meant to be way more light-hearted than they had been taken.

They wrote: ‘Joanna Lumley does not no enough about Jennifer Lawrence to use appropriate language in her intro to Jennifer Lawrence.

‘Jennifer Lawrence reaction was humble, polite and courteous. You need to lighten up and be ashamed of your biased view.’

‘Puzzled by everyone accusing Jennifer Lawrence of being rude to Joanna Lumley.

‘Joanna introduced her as being the “hottest actress on the planet” & “ravishing”.

Beauty: Whatever anyone’s thoughts were about Jennifer’s behaviour, it’s fair to say she looked incredible on the night (as Joanna said)

‘Jennifer laughed and modestly described the compliment as a ‘bit much’ but thanked her for it. How is that rude?’

‘Jennifer Lawrence telling Joanna Lumley “that was a bit much”….priceless!!’

‘Hahaha Joanna Lumley sucked up to Jennifer Lawrence just for her to tell her it was a bit much.’

It’s not the first time Jennifer has been considered ‘rude’ and she has even given herself that label before.

Mixed reviews: Some people did stick up for the Hollywood actress who felt like she was being jovial

Back in November, she admitted she is ‘incredibly rude’ and a ‘huge a**hole’ when she meets her followers in public.

Chatting with Adam Sandler during the seventh season of Variety Studio: Actors On Actors, the Oscar-winning star said she consciously tries to ‘defend’ herself by being mean to her fans when they meet her.

She said: ‘Once I enter a public place, I become incredibly rude. I turn into a huge a–hole,’ she said. ‘That’s my only way of defending myself.’

Shady: Back in November, Jennifer admitted she is ‘incredibly rude’ and a ‘huge a**hole’ when she meets her followers in public

Jennifer demonstrated the icy stare and finger-wagging combo she deploys whenever she sees someone approach her table at a restaurant, adding that whenever someone asks for a selfie she scoffs back: ‘No!’

In 2016, Jennifer Lawrence was famously blasted for calling out a foreign reporter in the middle of a Golden Globes press conference.

The Joy actress was accused of being ‘rude’ to E!’s Juan Pablo Fernández-Feo during a public outburst in which she told him to stop using his phone when he interviewed her.

She’s at it again: Jennifer was accused of being ‘rude’ to an E! Network reporter during a press conference that followed the Golden Globes in 2016

Unimpressed: The Joy actress was unimpressed when a reporter used his phone as he asked her interview questions

Her scathing attack prompted social media users to question whether she had crossed a line with her humour at the Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel event.

The reporter asked Jennifer how she felt about Oscars night – when she interrupted with: ‘You can’t live your whole life behind your phone bro.

‘You’re just not gonna… You can’t do that. You gotta live in the now,’ she said as she rolled her eyes and wagged her finger at him, prompting the room to descend into laughter.

Stony-faced: Jennifer appeared a little down in the dumps when she left her hotel the morning after the awards

Whatever the weather: A man kindly held an umbrella over her head as she headed out into the street

Heading off: She failed to raise a smile as she dived into her waiting car

Next stop: She was the picture of elegance as she stepped out of the vehicle a little later on

The actress, looking exquisite in a scarlet dress, had just accepted the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in the Motion Picture Comedy category for her 2020 film Joy.

As the reporter continued his question about the Academy Awards for a second time, she corrected him by saying: ‘We are at the Golden Globes, if you put your phone down, you’d know that.’

In 2013, the late Joan Rivers slammed the actress saying: ‘My New Year’s resolution is [ensuring] Jennifer Lawrence grows up and realizes how lucky she is and calms down.’

Adding: ‘I love that she’s telling everyone how wrong it is to worry about retouching and body image, and meanwhile, she has been touched up more than a choir boy at the Vatican.

‘Look at her posters. She doesn’t have a nose, she has two holes. She just has to learn, don’t talk if you’re doing it.’