Eva Mendes Claps Back at Ryan Gosling's 'Barbie' Critics: 'Took It All the Way to Oscars'

The actress shared a tribute to her longtime partner on Instagram.

Eva Mendes is proud of her man! 

After Ryan Gosling scored his third Oscar nomination for his performance as Ken in Barbie on Tuesday, the 49-year-old actress took to Instagram to celebrate him and also clap back at the critics.

"So proud of my man," Mendes wrote of the 43-year-old actor on Wednesday. "So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it. Despite all the #Notmyken ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to Oscars."

She added: "So beyond proud to be this Ken’s Barbie."

Gosling's Barbie co-star, America Ferrera, who also scored a nod of her own for Best Supporting Actress, quickly chimed in in the comments, responding to Mendes, "👏👏👏 He is brilliant as Ken! Pulled off a triple somersault performance! We're so lucky it was him and I'm so grateful for the way he showed up with his super stardom, and continues to show up to support all the women in this process!! He is a class act and insanely deserving and talented."

This year's top Oscar contenders include Barbie, Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon, among othersIn addition to Gosling and Ferrera's noms, the film is also up for Best Picture, Costume Design, Music (Original Song), Production Design, and Writing (Adapted Screenplay). However, Margot Robbie, who plays the titular Barbie, was shut out of acting nominations and Greta Gerwig was overlooked for Best Director.

Gosling spoke out against the snubs in a statement to ET on Tuesday. 

"I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films," Gosling began. "And I never thought I'd being saying this, but I'm also incredibly honored and proud that it's for portraying a plastic doll named Ken."

"But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film," he continued. "No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement."

Simu Liu, who played one of the Kens in the film, also came to Robbie and Gerwig's defense. 

"Being involved in a small way gave me a window into just how hard Greta and Margot had to fight to get Barbie made, and how flawlessly they executed," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Together they started a movement, touched the world and reinvigorated the cinema. They deserve everything. They ARE everything."

Gosling and Mendes have been together since 2011 after meeting on the set of the 2012 crime thriller, The Place Beyond the Pines. They have two daughters, Esmerelda, 9, and Amada, 7. While being honored with the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival earlier this month, the proud husband and father gave his family a sweet shout-out. 

"Most importantly, I got to meet the girl of my dreams, Eva Mendes, and have two dream children," he raved, receiving a big round of applause from the audience. 

"I dreamed of one day making movies and now movies have made my life a dream," he added. "So the way I see it, there's no way I've contributed half as much to cinema as cinema has contributed to me, but the idea that I might have given something back to the thing that's given so much to me is too great an honor for me to express." 

The 2024 Oscars will be presented live at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. PT on ABC. Until then, keep checking ETonline.com for complete Oscars coverage.

RELATED CONTENT: