Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd reacts to 'Swiped' film as Lily James portrays her

Whitney Wolfe Herd has shared her reaction to Hulu’s Swiped, the new film based on her life as the founder and CEO of Bumble.

The biopic, which stars Lily James in the lead role, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month and is now streaming.

Speaking to CNBC, Wolfe Herd admitted she initially wanted to block the project. “I even was asking my lawyer two years ago, ‘What do I do? I don’t want a movie about me. Shut it down!’” she explained. “He was like, ‘There’s nothing you can do. You’re somewhat of a public figure. There’s public information out there, they’re going to do what they’re going to do.’”

The entrepreneur revealed she has not seen the film in full and found even the trailer difficult to watch. “So, I can’t make it through the whole trailer; it’s too weird for me,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m going to watch it or not. I’m obviously both terrified, and maybe slightly flattered? But I think the strangeness and the fear of it outweighs any flattery.”

Despite her initial concerns, Wolfe Herd expressed respect for the casting choice. “I am honoured that they chose Lily James, she’s a talented actress,” she added.

At TIFF, James described Wolfe Herd as “visionary” and said portraying her was “really inspiring.” She noted that researching Wolfe Herd’s role in both Bumble and Tinder revealed a story she found “truly inspiring and a trailblazer.”

James previously suggested she would step away from portraying real people after playing Pamela Anderson in Hulu’s Pam & Tommy (2022), but said that stepping into Wolfe Herd’s shoes was “a really meaningful experience.”