Jimmy Fallon under fire for calling Hunter Schafer ‘bud’ on The Tonight Show: ‘Damn near a slur for trans women’
The moment quickly drew criticism online, with some trans viewers expressing discomfort over the word choice
By Callum Wells
Jimmy Fallon has come under fire after referring to trans actress Hunter Schafer as “bud” during her appearance on The Tonight Show.
The exchange took place on Friday (31 October), when Schafer joined Fallon to discuss her role as Tigris Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. During the segment, Fallon displayed an old photograph of Schafer as a child, taken before her transition, in which she wore a costume inspired by The Hunger Games series.
He then showed a still of Schafer in the new film and commented: “Congratulations, bud.”
“Why are you calling her ‘bud’? Expect better” – India Willoughby
The moment quickly drew criticism online, with some trans viewers expressing discomfort over the word choice. Journalist India Willoughby questioned the remark, posting: “Why are you calling her ‘bud’? Expect better.”
While “bud” is generally a casual synonym for “friend” or “mate”, it is also widely understood as masculine-coded language.
One viewer described the word as a “trigger word for me,” adding that it felt “damn near a slur for trans women.” Another said: “I actually felt my body shrivel up as my soul left my body out of pure cringe. Absolutely stunning woman, and he calls her ‘bud’.”
Others, however, said Fallon’s comment was being unfairly scrutinised.
“That’s just how he talks to women” – writer Gillian Branstetter
Writer Gillian Branstetter wrote: “People angry at Fallon for calling her ‘bud’, but that’s just how he talks to women… and 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.”
Another user pointed out that Fallon had previously used the same word when speaking to Dakota Johnson and Taylor Swift, describing the situation as a “non-issue”.
“I’m trans and I didn’t even notice that he said ‘bud’ until people started pointing it out,” one person said. “This is such a nothing situation.”