Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd pushes back on Lily James-led biopic Swiped

Whitney Wolfe Herd is voicing strong opposition to Hulu’s biopic Swiped, saying she does not want the project and was not involved in its making. In a CNBC interview aired Friday, the Bumble founder said she could not bring herself to watch the trailer, calling it “too weird for me.” She also noted she was informed about the project after development had already begun and that her lawyers had advised there was little she could do to stop it.

“I’m not involved in it,” Herd said during the CNBC appearance. “Frankly, I was informed about this movie after it was already off to the races. I think they had already written the script and done all these things. I even was asking my lawyer two years ago, like, ‘What do I do? I don’t want a movie about me. Shut it down!’”

Herd, who co-founded Tinder before launching Bumble, rose to prominence as Bumble went public in February 2021, becoming the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. The film centers on a young Wolfe, played by Lily James, as she navigates the male-dominated tech sector to build Bumble after Tinder. Hulu describes the feature as inspired by the provocative real-life story of the founder who helped shape modern online dating, including the launch of two apps and the path to becoming a prominent tech entrepreneur.

“I’m obviously both terrified and maybe slightly flattered,” Herd added. “But I think the strangeness and the fear of it outweighs any flattery. Listen, we’ll just see. I guess I gotta get some popcorn and stay tuned.” She also praised James’s acting, saying, “She’s a very talented actress.”

Lily James has publicly described her preparation for the role as a deep dive into Wolfe’s world. Speaking at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month, James said playing Wolfe was “really inspiring” and that she was drawn to the story because Wolfe is at the epicenter of Bumble and Tinder. James told Deadline that she learned about both apps but was unaware there was a specific woman at the center of their histories until she started researching Wolfe’s life, calling the experience meaningful and transformative as she stepped into the character’s shoes.

Swiped is directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, and Hulu’s description frames it as a dramatized account of Wolfe’s ascent in tech leadership, culminating in Bumble’s public success. The project is presented as “inspired by, not based on” Wolfe’s life, with Goldenberg and the team emphasizing that research informs the film’s emotional truth rather than serving as a literal retelling. Time has reported comments from Goldenberg underscoring this approach, with the director saying the film blends factual elements with storytelling to convey Wolfe’s impact on the dating-app landscape while shaping a narrative that emphasizes emotion and resilience rather than a strict biography.

James has stressed that her immersion into Wolfe’s story extended beyond surface-level research. “I obviously knew about both apps, Bumble and Tinder, but I had no idea there was this woman right at the kind of epicenter of them, and I was bowled over by her story,” James told Deadline. “It’s been a really meaningful experience getting to kind of step into her shoes and recreate and dramatize this story in our film.” James added that Wolfe’s life was not only innovative in business terms but also resonant with broader themes about opportunity and gender dynamics in tech culture.

Swiped is currently streaming on Hulu, and the project has drawn attention for its high-profile casting and its aim to illuminate Wolfe’s influence on online dating and entrepreneurship. The film’s rollout has prompted discussions about how living subjects are represented onscreen, as producers navigate the balance between dramatic license and accuracy. The debate surrounding Swiped mirrors a broader industry conversation about biopics that cover living figures and the responsibilities of filmmakers when portraying real people in high-stakes, contemporary contexts.