British comedian and actress Gina Yashere has launched a stinging rebuke against White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, labelling him as "fragile" following his criticism of her gay character in the new Star Trek series. The controversy erupted after Miller described the casting as "tragic" in a social media post earlier this year.
Social Media Spat Over Starfleet Academy Character
Yashere, who portrays Lura Thok in Paramount Plus's newly launched Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, took to Instagram on Sunday to share footage from Bill Maher's Real Time programme. The clip featured Maher discussing Miller's January 15th post complaining about Yashere's character being gay. Miller had originally shared a clip of Yashere with co-stars Tricia Black and Holly Hunter alongside his critical commentary.
"Tragic," Miller wrote at the time, before adding: "But it's not too late for @paramountplus to save the franchise. Step 1: Reconcile with @WilliamShatner and give him total creative control." The original post originated from the conservative X account End Wokeness before being amplified by the White House policy advisor.
Yashere's Fiery Response to Political Criticism
In her Instagram response, Yashere - who is openly gay in real life - didn't hold back in her assessment of Miller's comments. "I was practically born wearing a tool belt," the British comic began. "But if you could choose your sexuality, why would we choose men? All of the hatred coming at us is from fragile, angry white men, talking about either our non-whiteness or our bodies."
She continued with characteristic defiance: "It's frankly ridiculous. This makes me want to lean even more into our wokeness." Yashere concluded her post with a promotional push for the new series alongside a playful jab at contemporary political discourse: "Anyway, this space lesbian is here to tell you @startrek #starfleetacademy is STREAMING NOW. We woke. Wokey wokey. Super woke. Wokest of the woke."
Bill Maher's Unexpected Defence and Quip
Interestingly, Yashere found an unlikely defender in comedian Bill Maher, who addressed Miller's criticism on his HBO programme last Friday. However, Yashere couldn't resist a parting shot at Maher himself, presumably referencing his recent criticisms of Democratic Party rhetoric: "Bill Maher is nobody's fantasy either, so we're even my dude!"
Maher, after coming to Yashere's defence on air, added his own characteristically dry observation: "I must admit when I was a teenager dreaming about space lesbians this wasn't what I had in mind." The comedian also questioned why Miller, a 40-year-old White House official, would be "tweeting about Star Trek" in the first place.
Representation and Corporate Context
The controversy emerges as Paramount Plus launches its latest Star Trek iteration under new leadership. David Ellison, 42-year-old tech scion and son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison, recently assumed control of Paramount with promises to revitalise franchise properties including Star Trek.
Following a lengthy regulatory review and amidst Donald Trump's lawsuit concerning edits to a Kamala Harris interview, Ellison emphasised his entertainment-first approach during his inaugural address as CEO in August. "We're an entertainment company first, and I genuinely believe if you're breathing, you're our audience," he stated after months of controversy surrounding a $16 million settlement between Trump and Paramount.
Ellison added: "I don't want to politicize this company. We want to be in the business of speaking to everybody" - a statement that now resonates ironically given the political controversy surrounding one of Paramount's flagship series.
Yashere's on-screen relationship in Starfleet Academy is with Tig Notaro's character Jett Reno, while co-star Tricia Black is also openly lesbian. The actress, previously seen in The Standups and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, is in a relationship with New York-based social justice professor Nina Rose Fischer.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is currently streaming on Paramount Plus. The Daily Mail has approached the White House for comment regarding Miller's original social media post and Yashere's subsequent response.
