'Friends' co-creator Marta Kauffman on misgendering Chandler's parent, 'Was a mistake'

The popular sitcom Friends continues to rule the hearts of viewers and has a massive fan following. However, it has often been criticised for its lack of diversity and representation. The show's co-creator Marta Kauffman has now opened up about the issue and apologised after nearly 20 years. She recently addressed the issue of misgendering Matthew Perry's character, Chandler Bing's trans parent in an interview with BBC.

Friends' co-creator apologises for misgendering Chandler Bing's trans parent

Marta Kauffman mentioned that the script of the hit sitcom referred to Chandler Bing's parent as his father, even though the character in the show was trans. The role of Chandler's trans parent, Helena was played by Kathleen Turner and Marta Kauffman mentioned that the concept of pronouns was not something that she understood at the time. She said that not referring to the character as 'she' in the show was a 'mistake'. She said:

"We kept referring to Helena as ‘Chandler's father,' even though Chandler's father was trans. Pronouns were not yet something that I understood, so we didn't refer to that character as ‘she.' That was a mistake."

Kathleen played the role of Charles Bing, who was also a drag queen named Helena Handbasket. A couple of years ago, Kathleen Turner spoke to Andy Cohen about whether she would play the role again, and she stated she would not, as 'there would be real people able to do it.'

Marta Kauffman's $4 million donation as an apology

Marta Kauffman also recently spoke to The Los Angeles Times and mentioned that 'accepting guilt is not easy' as she addressed the lack of diversity in the sitcom. She stated it was 'painful' to look at herself in the mirror and she was embarrassed that she 'didn't know better'. In an attempt to redeem herself, the writer went on to make a donation of $4 million to Brandeis University's African and African American studies department.

More about Friends

The hit show ran from 1994 to 2004 and focused on the lives of six friends living in New York City. The Friends cast consisted of Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc. The show ran for 10 seasons and is still a fan-favourite among the audience.