Glenn Close: Hillbilly Elegy star takes swipe at JD Vance

Trump’s running mate drew backlash for comments calling women like Kamala Harris ‘childless cat ladies’

Hillbilly Elegy star Glenn Close has made a subtle dig at JD Vance over his controversial “childless cat ladies” comment.

Vance was selected to be Republican candidate Donald Trump’s running mate for the US presidency last month, but before his political career he was known for being the author of memoir Hillbilly Elegy, later adapted into a Netflix film by the same name.

The 40-year-old defended the comments in which he referred to women such as Kamala Harris as “childless cat ladies”, prompting swift backlash and accusations of sexism. He said the remarks were made in “sarcasm”.

Close played Vance’s grandmother Mawmaw in the movie, alongside Amy Adams as his mother, Bev. Vance himself was an executive producer on the film, and is portrayed by actor Gabriel Basso.

In a new post on Instagram, the Fatal Attraction star appeared to make a veiled reference to Vance as she posed with her Abysinnian cat, alongside a caption that read: “Eve would have left a bleeding mouse head in the bed of anyone who criticised any kind of lady with a CAT!”

Comments on the image were divided between support for Trump and Kamala as one person wrote, “I’m a Republican alone with cats, my daughter is also a Republican alone with cats who cares.”

Another added, “Cats and their people for Kamala!”

Meanwhile, another added that the furore had inspired her, “I will say that all this “childless cat ladies” talk inspired me to adopt a sweet kitty from animal control last week. Thankful for my new fur baby, and proud to be a new member of the ‘Childfree Cat Ladies’ club.”

Before Vance was a couple of steps away from the most powerful position in the world, he was just a self-proclaimed “hillbilly” raised in the Appalachian mountains, living in poverty, despair and dysfunction.

Close stared as Vance’s grandmother in the Netflix film based on the instant bestseller (Netflix/Getty)

His exceptional journey to Yale Law School was documented in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, published in 2017.

“I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve accomplished nothing great in my life, certainly nothing that could justify a complete stranger spending money to read about,” writes Vance in the introduction to the book which has now become a kind of prophecy.

“I am not a senator, a governor, or a cabinet secretary.”

The film was described by The Independent’s critic Clarisse Loughrey as “a sickeningly irresponsible parade of death and despair”.