Sara Ramírez is once again addressing the ongoing criticisms around their And Just Like That character, Che Diaz.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday, the former Grey’s Anatomy star emphasized that questions about the character’s development should be pointed at the series’ writers and that critics of their nonbinary character’s representation on the show should stop conflating the role with who Ramírez is in real life.
“I am not the fictional characters I have played, nor am I responsible for the things that are written for them to say. I am a human being, an artist, an actor,” they said in the post, which featured two photos of them. “We are living in a world that has become increasingly hostile toward anyone who dares to free themselves from the gender binary, or disrupt the mainstream.”
At another point, Ramírez questions why they’ve been asked about the way Diaz has been written as the one who isn’t overseeing their own dialogue. “When a cis man is in charge and has ultimate control of dialogue actors say, and you have a valid problem with it, perhaps you should be interviewing him,” they said.
The post, which follows a June profile in The Cut about the actor and the show, sees the And Just Like That star defending their own character in response to what they describe as “an attempt to mock my thoughtfulness and softness, while dismissing a valid existence and real human being in favor of tv show critiques that belonged elsewhere.”
“I have a dry sense of humor and a voice. And I am not afraid to use either,” Ramírez added.
This is not the first time Ramírez has responded to critics of their character, who was introduced as Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) podcast co-host in the Sex and the City continuation’s first season before they developed a relationship with the then-married (and in season two, impending divorcée) Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon).
During season one, the actor told The New York Times that they “don’t recognize myself in Che,” after articles in outlets like The Daily Beast and Vulture called Ramírez’s role “the indisputable worst character on television” and a “jumble of traits to serve a bunch of plot purposes,” respectively.
“I’m very aware of the hate that exists online, but I have to protect my own mental health and my own artistry,” they said. “And that’s way more important to me because I’m a real human being. I’m really proud of the representation that we’ve created. We have built a character who is a human being, who is imperfect, who’s complex, who is not here to be liked, who’s not here for anybody’s approval. They’re here to be themselves.”
