Timothee Chalamet’s mom is clearing the air after the actor’s viral comments about the ballet and opera earlier this year.

Speaking to People magazine at the American Ballet Theatre Spring Gala on Wednesday, May 20, Nicole Flender set the record straight about Chalamet’s rumoured dance background after an old clip of him appearing in a childhood ballet production resurfaced online as a rebuttal to his criticism of the performing arts.

“Timmy didn’t take ballet classes. My daughter did,” Flender explained, referring to actress Pauline Chalamet. She added that both she and Pauline studied at the School of American Ballet.

“Timmy did his own dancing,” Flender, 68, said. “You know, he was a rap artist at a high school so he did his own thing.”

The clarification comes weeks after the Marty Supreme star sparked criticism during a February town hall with Matthew McConaughey while discussing the future of movie theatres.

“I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.’ All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” he said at the time.

Critics online pointed out Chalamet’s deep family ties to the New York City Ballet, where both his mother and grandmother once danced.