Leonard Bernstein's children defend Bradley Cooper's prosthetic nose amid backlash to Netflix's 'Maestro' trailer: 'We're perfectly fine with that'

• Netflix unveiled the first trailer for "Maestro," which stars Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein.
• The trailer has been met with criticism online due to Cooper wearing a prosthetic nose for the role.

The children of the real Leonard Bernstein say they are "perfectly fine" with actor Bradley Cooper sporting a prosthetic nose in a new Netflix movie about their father.

The first trailer for "Maestro," about the life and career of the famed conductor, premiered Tuesday, and has faced criticism on social media over Cooper's use of prosthetics to enhance his nose.

Among the complaints leveled at the production, and Cooper, was that the actor's enlarged nose "perpetuates Jewish stereotypes rooted in Nazi propaganda/antisemitism."

In a statement to Insider Wednesday, Bernstein's children Jamie, Alexander, and Nina Bernstein, defended the actor and director, saying that they were "touched" by his commitment to telling their father's story.

"It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of his efforts. It happens to be true that Leonard Bernstein had a nice, big nose," the children said.

"Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we're perfectly fine with that. We're also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well. Any strident complaints around this issue strike us above all as disingenuous attempts to bring a successful person down a notch -- a practice we observed all too often perpetrated on our own father," they continued.

The legendary composer's children also said that Cooper "included the three of us along every step of his amazing journey as he made his film about our father. We were touched to the core to witness the depth of his commitment, his loving embrace of our father's music, and the sheer open-hearted joy he brought to his exploration."

Jamie, Alexander, and Nina Bernstein ended the statement by saying that they felt the "profound respect" and "love" that Cooper brought to the memories of their parents in "Maestro."

"At all times during the making of this film, we could feel the profound respect and yes, the love that Bradley brought to his portrait of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, our mother Felicia. We feel so fortunate to have had this experience with Bradley, and we can't wait for the world to see his creation," they said.

Representatives for Cooper and Netflix pointed Insider to the Bernstein children's statement when reached for comment.

"Maestro," which is Cooper's second effort as both star and director, following 2018's "A Star Is Born," explores the legendary career of the man who wrote the music to "West Side Story." It also looks at his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre, who's played by "Promising Young Woman" star Carey Mulligan.

After the first trailer appeared online Tuesday, a lot of people used X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice their concerns about Cooper's aesthetic choice.

One person said: "This isn't about making a non-Jewish actor look more like Leonard Bernstein; it's about making a non-Jewish actor look more like a Jewish stereotype."

The Community Security Trust, a UK charity that seeks to protect British Jews from antisemitism, also expressed concerns over Cooper's appearance in the trailer.

"It is very difficult to imagine that nobody involved in this film was aware it might be a problem to put a ridiculously outsized and pointy fake nose on a Jewish character," a spokesperson for CST told Insider in a statement.

"It is the kind of thing that should have been consigned to history, but unfortunately is still all too common today. It is insulting and demeaning and should never have happened," the spokesperson added.