James Cameron Calls Out 12-Year-Old Joke About His Marriage to Kathryn Bigelow, Says It Went Too Far

James Cameron is out doing the Avatar: Fire and Ash press tour, but he also dug up a moment from 2013 that, apparently, still sticks in his ribs: that Golden Globes joke about his marriage to Kathryn Bigelow. And while we were here, he also revisited an old credit scuffle over Point Break. Two different kinds of Hollywood bruises, same guy.

The 2013 Golden Globes jab that did not land for him

Context check: Bigelow was nominated for Best Director for Zero Dark Thirty, and hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey opened the show with jokes about the movie's torture controversy. Poehler dropped this line about Bigelow and Cameron's past marriage, and the room kind of jolted:

"When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron."

In a new New York Times interview, Cameron calls that an ignorant dig. He says awards shows should be a celebration, not a roast. He is fine being the punchline when it is good-natured, but this one felt cheap to him, and, in his view, the laughter said more about how people assume he operates than who he actually is.

Why it really bothered him: it shifted the focus off Bigelow

Cameron says the worst part was not the personal shot, it was the collateral damage. He was, by his own telling, on his feet applauding Bigelow and could laugh at the public narrative around their past. But he worried the joke undercut her credibility and hijacked the conversation away from her movie. In an industry where there are already fewer women calling the shots, that stung for both of them.

The other sore spot: Point Break and the writing credit

Separate thread, same interview circuit: Cameron says he and Bigelow have always kept things professional, even post-divorce. He helped develop and executive produce her 1991 cult classic Point Break and worked closely on the story. And yet, when the Writers Guild decided who got screenplay credit, he says he got shut out. His version, via The Hollywood Reporter, does not mince words:

"I flat-out got stiffed by the Writers Guild on that. It was bullshit."

W. Peter Iliff, who is the credited screenwriter, even backed Cameron up in spirit in a separate chat with People, saying there was "enough glory for everybody" and acknowledging Cameron's fingerprints all over the film. So while the credits are settled, the influence question is not exactly controversial.

• Point Break (1991) basics: Director: Kathryn Bigelow; Cast: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty; Runtime: 2h 2m; IMDb: 7.3/10; Rotten Tomatoes: 68%; Streaming: Peacock and AMC+

So yeah, Cameron can take a joke. He just does not like it when the joke steps on a filmmaker's moment, especially Bigelow's. And if you bring up Point Break, be ready for a little righteous steam. Avatar: Fire and Ash is in theaters worldwide now.