Martin Freeman finally addresses sex scene between him and Jenna Ortega which left viewers 'disturbed'

Martin Freeman has spoken out about a controversial sex scene between himself and Jenna Ortega for the film Miller's Girl.

The movie follows a young woman (Ortega) who enters into a relationship with her much older teacher (Freeman), and the age difference between them caused some discussion, particularly an intimate scene with the 52-year-old and 21-year-old.

A number of criticisms came from people who hadn't seen the film or declared that they'd have no intention of doing so as they found it 'weird', while others suggested that might be 'the point in the movie'.

In a recent interview with The Times, Freeman said he thought Miller's Girl had provided a 'grown up and nuanced' story.

"It's not saying, 'Isn't this great'," he said of the film, reminding some audiences that depiction doesn't mean endorsement.

The age gap between the characters (and actors) in Miller's Girl proved controversial. (Lionsgate)

Freeman said that 'stories about different subjects' could be 'tainted by association', saying: "And that's a shame. Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?"

When it was released, Miller's Girl received mixed reviews from critics and didn't reach a wide audience at the box office.

However, the movie has recently been picked up by Netflix in the US so it may find a wider viewership now it has made the transition to a streaming platform.

Viewers in the UK can rent or buy it through Prime Video and have been able to do so since 19 February.

The intimacy coordinator for Miller's Girl spoke out and said that Ortega was 'comfortable' while filming her sex scenes with Freeman.

According to the Screen Actor's Guild, intimacy coordinators are not really supposed to be discussing that without the actor's consent.

"It's not saying, 'Isn't this great?'", Freeman said of the film. (Lionsgate)

Film director Jade Halley Bartlett has also defended the film, saying she understood there might be a 'knee-jerk reaction' after the trailer released and calling the movie a 'horror romance'.

She said: "My hope is that people go in and see that it's more nuanced than that. I hope that people go in and can have grace for characters who are not the binary.

"The perfect victim is boring. It's boring to write. It's boring to be.

"I think it is dangerous to keep writing women as the perfect victim because it doesn't allow us any agency."

Elsewhere in his career Freeman has a second season of the critically acclaimed series The Responder coming back onto our screens soon with the first episode available on 5 May, otherwise known as this coming Sunday.

Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Martin Freeman, Jenna Ortega

Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

@MrJoeHarker