Amanda Seyfried Knows People Walked Out Of Her New Movie During Graphic Childbirth Scene, But Has No Regrets

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I’m such a big fan of Amanda Seyfried, and this year has been amazing for her! She had not one, but two movies out at the same time – the thrilling The Housemaid, which is doing really well in theaters alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash, and the really bold musical, The Testament of Ann Lee. She even got a Golden Globe nomination for Ann Lee! She recently talked about how she feels it’s a good thing that Ann Lee is making people think and isn’t just easy viewing, and I totally agree!

The film The Testament of Ann Lee is based on the life of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker movement who lived in 18th-century England. Her followers believed she was the female version of Jesus Christ. The movie begins by showing Ann giving birth to four children, all of whom died in infancy. Actress Seyfried described this part of the film as follows:

Apparently, over a dozen people walked out of a screening in Venice, which I think is a positive thing. It suggests we’re achieving what we set out to do. For those who didn’t hear about it, I believe it demonstrates a raw and honest look at human nature – something we always aim for in our films.

During an interview on the podcast On Film… With Kevin McCarthy, actress Jessica Seyfried mentioned a rumor that many male viewers walked out of the premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. One person who saw the film in early October wrote a review on Letterboxd noting that about 20 people left during his IMAX showing. It seems the movie is challenging for audiences, pushing them to confront difficult themes, and some viewers are reportedly unable to continue watching. Seyfried went on to explain:

There’s a very intense scene, and it portrays childbirth in a way you likely haven’t seen before. This level of realism is crucial; we need to show the raw reality, including the blood, to make the emotional journey feel earned and to gain your trust as filmmakers. It needs to be an immersive and unforgettable experience.

A key part of Ann Lee’s story is her decision to live a celibate life – a practice central to the Shakers movement she founded – after enduring several difficult childbirths and an unhappy marriage to Abraham Standerin. Actress Amanda Seyfried explained that she and director Mona Fastvold believed it was crucial to depict Ann’s childbirth scenes realistically and powerfully to justify the events that follow. It was Fastvold’s specific vision to make these scenes particularly impactful.

That experience was deeply unsettling. Both Mona and I have personal experience with childbirth, which can be a very traumatic event – and Ann Lee’s experience was particularly intense. It was emotionally draining overall, but surprisingly, it didn’t affect me as much as I expected. I’ve worked on developing my ability to process difficult things, accept them, and then move on.

Amanda Seyfried, a mother of two, wanted to realistically portray the often difficult and even traumatic experience of childbirth, as it’s frequently glossed over in media. Though some feel she deserved an Oscar nomination for her work, Seyfried has said that acting in Ann Lee reminds her she’s already fulfilled creatively, and doesn’t need an award to feel successful. She was previously nominated for an Oscar in 2020 for Mank.

The Testament of Ann Lee is now playing in theaters!

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2026-01-24 17:08