Paty Maldonado Faces Backlash After Insulting Actors

A heated dispute has erupted within the Chilean entertainment industry after media personality Patricia Maldonado launched a series of aggressive attacks against actors, sparking strong rebuttals from prominent figures in the performing arts.

The controversy began when Maldonado criticized government budget allocations for culture, specifically targeting actors who receive public funding. During an appearance on the podcast Con canas y sin canas, Maldonado used profane language to describe actors, calling them lazy bastards and shitty shameless people.

Maldonado questioned why the state should provide financial support to the acting community, comparing their situation to that of other working professionals.

Go to hell, you fucking lazy bastards. work like others do. Like teachers, doctors, assistants, and nannies work.

Patricia Maldonado via BioBioChile

In further remarks reported by Radio Corazón, Maldonado intensified her rhetoric, labeling actors as true parasites and asserting that the current government should not provide them with any funding.

The actress Claudia Pérez responded to the comments on May 29, 2026, describing Maldonado’s statements as ignorant sayings of this lady. Pérez sought to correct the narrative regarding how cultural funding actually functions in Chile.

Pérez noted that only 1% of theatrical works are successfully funded through public resources. She argued that the creative industry is a significant economic driver rather than a burden on the state.

According to data provided by Pérez via BioBioChile, the creative industry in Chile contributes approximately 2.5% of the national GDP and is responsible for generating more than 150,000 direct jobs.

The backlash against Maldonado extended beyond Pérez. Actress Antonella Ríos also condemned the remarks, stating that the media personality is generating hate speech through her treatment of the acting community, according to reporting from Chilevisión.

The clash highlights a deepening tension over the role of state patronage in the arts, coinciding with ongoing debates regarding government budget cuts to the cultural sector in Chile.