"This man is so cringe": Bradley Cooper cries over missing Leonard Bernstein in front of latter's kids, despite never having met him 

Recently, a video surfaced on the internet featuring actor Bradley Cooper, who portrayed the role of Leonard Bernstein in his latest film Maestro, where he was seen being emotional when asked about the late composer.

When asked whether he missed Leonard Bernstein, Bradley Cooper said, "Oh yeah!" When asked what exactly he missed the most about the music legend, he said, "It’s hard to talk about," and became teary-eyed.

Bradley Cooper cries in front of Leonard Bernstein’s children over how much he misses their dad. (He never met him) byu/clemthearcher inFauxmoi

However, the now-viral video has sparked controversy, with some criticizing Bradley Cooper for crying and reportedly lying in front of Leonard Berstein’s children (who were present during the interview), as he never really met the man whose biopic he recently made.

A Reddit user reacting to the surfaced video commented under @r/Fauxmoi’s post, calling out Cooper as “cringe.”

A netizen calls Bradley "cringe." (Image via Reddit/ b0111323)

---

“We are witnessing a parasocial relationship in real time”: Netizens condemn Bradley Cooper for his interview on Leonard Bernstein

Bradley Cooper appeared in an interview with Leonard Bernstein’s children, during which he became emotional discussing the music composer. The clip has now gone viral on TikTok and X, capturing the Maestro star expressing how much he “misses” Bernstein and saying it was “hard to talk about.” Cooper, in an interview, said:

“We shared something very special. It’s hard to even articulate. But he was with me certainly throughout the entire time. His energy has somehow found its way to me. I do really feel like I know him.”

As soon as the brief video emerged online, netizens united to slam Cooper for tearing up in front of Bernstein’s kids while talking about their late father and allegedly pretending to have known him when he was alive. Here are some criticisms from X.

A netizen condemns Cooper. (Image via X/ incepthion)

A netizen slams Cooper. (Image via X/ chrispacino_)

This is not the first time Bradley Cooper has come under fire for Maestro. Earlier, in September 2023, when the images of Cooper in the role of Berstein first surfaced online, he was called out for wearing a prosthetic nose. It was deemed antisemitic by many who claimed Cooper was trying to fit into the role of the music veteran who was a Jew in real life, citing it as a misrepresentation of not only Berstein but the entire Jewish community.

Later, in November, Bradley Cooper told on CBS Mornings that initially he did not intend to wear a prosthetic, but since his lips and chin were "nothing like" Leonard’s, they decided to go with the fake nose to strike a "balance."

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Leonard Berstein’s children also issued a statement in this regard. They accepted that their father "had a nice, big nose" and said they were "perfectly fine" with Bradley’s use of "makeup to amplify his resemblance." The statement also added how they were certain that their father "would have been fine with it as well" if he was alive.

---

Maestro is a romantic biopic on Leonard Berstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre, a role played by actress Carey Mulligan. It was co-written, directed, and co-produced by Cooper and premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in September 2023.