Photo: Tommaso Boddi/WireImage/Getty Images

If you’re confused about why the actress Jameela Jamil has found herself at the center of controversy again, then you’ve come to a good place. At the beginning of this week, HBO announced Jamil would MC and host a forthcoming show called Legendary, a nine-episode unscripted ballroom-style competition series. By Thursday, the story has drifted quite far: In the face of criticism over her lack of ties to the ballroom scene — and, seemingly, to the LGBT community as a whole — Jamil revealed that she is queer. In between, there was some messy press coverage, making the story fertile ground for a social-media dustup. Here’s what you need to know.

The ballroom show controversy begins

The controversy began on Monday, when HBO announced that Jamil would star in the network’s new reality voguing competition, in a press release headlined “HBO Max’s Ballroom Vogueing Competition Series Legendary Taps Jameela Jamil to MC and Judge.” Ballroom-style competitions, in which contestants vogue, walk, and pose for prizes, have flourished for decades in queer POC scenes. Out reported that Jamil initially tweeted (and subsequently deleted) of her new gig “I’m *so* excited to be a tiny part of bringing ballroom further into the mainstream where it belongs.”

The decision to cast Jamil, who has no obvious connection to LGBT culture or voguing in particular, incited an instant backlash.

WHEW! I don’t want to think about this too much cause thinking about it only further reveals how f’d up this really is and you know what??? Just no. No, no, no, no, no. This DEFINITELY should’ve been with @tracelysette or @KingAmiyahScott TBH, they BOTH have the star power! https://t.co/dQNFA0CUIb — Angelica Ross (@angelicaross) February 4, 2020

The pivotal moment in this conversation came when trans actress Trace Lysette tweeted that she had been interviewed for Jamil’s job and lost out. “This is no shade towards Jameela, I love all that she stands for. If anything I question the decision makers,” Lysette tweeted.

Lol.. I interviewed for this gig. As the mother of a house for nearly a decade it’s kind of kind blowing when ppl with no connection to our culture gets the gig. This is not shade towards Jameela, I love all that she stands for. If anything I question the decision makers https://t.co/kJleDihn02 — Trace Lysette (@tracelysette) February 4, 2020

Twelve hours after the initial announcement, the story had changed. Jamil clarified in a tweet, “Deadline says I am the MC of this show! I am not. I am just one of the judges. The brilliant Dashaun Wesley is.” But Out notes that the original press release from HBO — which Jamil linked to in her now-deleted tweet — had said simply, “commentary by Dashaun Wesley.” As of Wednesday, the HBO release still stated that Jamil would MC the show. On Wednesday night, HBO issued a statement confirming that Jamil will not MC the show. “For clarity, Dashaun is the series’ MC/Commentator, and Jameela heads up the panel of judges alongside Leiomy, Law, and Megan,” the statement reads.

Hello! @DEADLINE says I am the MC of this show! I am NOT. I am just one of the judges. The brilliant @DashaunWesley is. With help from the fabulous @TheOnlyMikeQ I’m a long time fan of ballroom and just wanted to help this show get made to celebrate this beautiful community. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ot7SEYnZTr — Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) February 5, 2020

At this point Jamil responded to Lysette, tweeting, “I think you auditioned to be one of the house mothers,” referring to senior members of the ballroom scene, which is organized into intentional communities or families called “houses.” “I’m just one of the judges. Not a house mother. We weren’t up for the same thing.” To which Lysette responded, “I don’t have to audition to be a house mother … I am one,” and disputed Jamil’s account, adding, “I send you love too. But I will always speak my truth.”

I don’t have audition to be a house mother... I am one. I remember the convo well. It was a convo in regards to be a host/producer. At least that’s what my manager at the time worked out. I never heard back. I send you love too. But I will always speak my truth. — Trace Lysette (@tracelysette) February 5, 2020

Jamil comes out as queer

On Wednesday, Jamil further responded to the brewing controversy by revealing that she is queer. “This is why I never officially came out as queer,” she wrote, “I was scared of the pain of being accused of performative bandwagon jumping, over something that caused me a lot of confusion.” She went on to explain that the lack of out family members and pressures of being a POC actress in her 30s in Hollywood have contributed to her reticence to officially come out, but that she’s “always answered honestly if ever straight-up asked about it on Twitter.” The actress conceded that “my being queer doesn’t qualify me as ballroom.”

The reaction has been mixed, with some of Jamil’s critics taking issue with the timing and apparent defensiveness of her announcement.

This Jameela situation is really showing the dangers of the neoliberalistion of identity politics and how identity claims are weaponised by the powerful to over-identify with and subsequently, gain access to and profit off the cultural production of marginalised communities — jade bentil (@divanificent) February 5, 2020

Jameela once said she turned down a role as a deaf character because she is not deaf. Announced this publicly to let us know she would never take up space. It is not illogical that many queer people of color yesterday then wanted to know why she, who had not come out as queer — Ira Madison III (@ira) February 5, 2020

Lysette pointed out on Wednesday evening that, while Jamil might not be MC-ing, she is still “Executive Producer along with two cis white guys who produced Queer Eye.”

Meanwhile A ballroom elder who will remain nameless is still fighting for a producing credit for putting the structure of the show together, categories, etc... and Jameela is the Executive Producer along with two cis white guys who produced queer eye. — Trace Lysette (@tracelysette) February 6, 2020

Jamil is no stranger to controversy

This isn’t the first time the narrative has gotten the better of Jamil. In December the actress was criticized after expressing her opinion that airbrushing is “disgusting” and a “crime against women,” and that it should be banned. Some people felt the way she was going about the conversation was unproductive, to say the least, especially considering that she’s a conventionally attractive woman. Jamil stood firm, saying that while her approach might be “extra,” she’s more concerned about the “teen surgery, eating disorders, and self harm,” that unattainable beauty standards inspire. Jamil also came under fire for tweeting her support of Ellen DeGeneres getting chummy with George W. Bush at a recent Dallas Cowboys game. The actress later apologized, writing that she was just “learning today about the full extent of Bush’s heinous presidency.”

This post has been updated.