Miles Teller says he stepped away from magazine profile interviews after a 2015 Esquire story left him feeling “violated” and “mishandled.” Speaking while promoting James Gray’s competition entry “Paper Tiger” at the Cannes Film Festival—where he stars alongside Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson—Teller referenced the magazine’s portrayal of him as “kind of a dick.” He said the interview and its framing did not reflect what he believed happened, and that the coverage felt like a personal violation. Teller also described his decision to limit certain press activities as a way to avoid backlash-focused narratives, saying that people “want to click on the negativity.” Multiple outlets report that his comments center on how the Esquire profile was handled and characterized, rather than on any new dispute. Overall, the accounts depict Teller as reflecting on how that viral label affected his approach to media interviews and how he now tries to control the narrative around his public image.