Joey King Responds to Jacob Elordi's Critique of 'The Kissing Booth': Sad Anyone Would Feel That Way
Joey King responds to Jacob Elordi's critique of 'The Kissing Booth' films, expressing disappointment that anyone would feel negatively about them
At a Balenciaga fashion show in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 2, 24-year-old Joey King opened up about the recent criticism her ex, Jacob Elordi, received for their work in The Kissing Booth movies. “I think it’s unfortunate anyone would feel that way,” she said. “I had a great time making those movies no matter what anyone says.”
King, who portrayed Elle Evans in the Netflix trilogy, expressed her interest in the possibility of expanding the franchise. She mentioned that she would be open to the idea of a fourth installment that picks up with Elle and the gang in their fifties or at a later age, providing viewers with an opportunity to see where they're at in their lives.
King and Elordi, 26, portrayed love interests in the Kissing Booth film series from 2018 to 2021. The two also had a real-life relationship from 2017 to 2018. However, Elordi, who played Noah Flynn, has since expressed strong criticism for the romantic comedies, revealing that he felt emotionally drained while working on them.
In a November interview with GQ, Elordi stated, "I had no desire to be part of those films prior to being cast. They are absurd and lack universal appeal. They only offer a form of escapism."
Joey King and Jacob Elordi Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Netflix
Elordi's early films paved the way for his role as Nate Jacobs in HBO's Euphoria and received praise for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the 2023 film Priscilla. The actor referred to The Kissing Booth as a "one for them, one for me" film, reflecting the Hollywood tradition of balancing big-budget projects with smaller passion projects.
Elordi observed that the phrase was also a trap. He expressed that it could be seen as 15 for them and none for you, insinuating that the person has no original ideas and is emotionally empty. He described it as a delicate balance, stating that he has played the "one for them" role himself.
King was not the only costar to comment on Elordi’s remarks. Taylor Zakhar Perez told Variety in November that Elordi’s comments were “a shame,” and noted that to his knowledge “everybody else had such a wonderful experience.”
Perez, 31, also mentioned that from his personal experiences with fans where he gets recognized "everywhere," he has witnessed the impact of The Kissing Booth on people during difficult times. He joined the trilogy in the second film as Marco Peña and returned for the third and final film, which was released during the pandemic. "I suppose the positive aspect is that [Elordi] still managed to bring joy and positivity to people," Perez added.
Elordi, on his end, stated to Variety recently that he had not been contacted by any of his former colleagues in response to his remarks, but he emphasized that he is "extremely thankful to everyone" involved in them.
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Elordi had previously been open about his time with the franchise, and in 2021 he described feeling "corny" and "terribly misunderstood" in an interview with Esquire.
“I had to prove I was a serious actor,” he explained.
