All articles tagged with #casting backlash
Jenna Dewan responds to backlash over her DWTS Season 35 casting, noting her extensive dance background helps but she’ll still need to learn ballroom. Partner Val Chmerkovskiy defends the casting, saying the show is about personal growth and journeys, not just dancing, as DWTS Season 35 premieres Sept. 15 on ABC/Disney+.
Rumors that Meghan Markle would join Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen were reportedly withdrawn after intense backlash in the UK, with no clear confirmation whether an offer existed or was planted; the story remains unverified and no release date has been announced.
Author Tomi Adeyemi says she has no involvement with Paramount’s adaptation of The Children of Blood and Bone and will not promote or discuss the film; she hasn’t seen it and cites a personal reason, referencing a blocked exchange with star Amandla Stenberg after being told not to mention her in interviews. The movie, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and featuring Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, and Viola Davis, has faced fan backlash over casting as the heroine in an uncolonized Nigeria setting.
Tomi Adeyemi posted a scathing TikTok sharing screenshots of direct messages with Amandla Stenberg, claiming a rift and asserting she will not post about the adaptation; Adeyemi also said she has not seen the film and will not watch it, after telling Stenberg not to text or call her and blocking Stenberg as a contact. Stenberg stars as Princess Amari in the movie, which is set to premiere January 15, 2027, and has faced casting backlash from fans who criticized the skin-tone casting. Adeyemi previously sold the rights and serves as an executive producer and co-writer for the project. The piece outlines the ongoing feud and the broader reception to Stenberg’s casting, along with the film’s ensemble cast.
Lupita Nyong’o faces renewed online backlash after resurfaced praise for Black Panther’s respectful portrayal of Africa while defending her dual role in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, fueling accusations of a double standard in representation; the controversy comes as The Odyssey’s cast and myth-setting draw attention ahead of its July 17, 2026 release.
Lupita Nyong’o addresses racist reactions to her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, calling the mythological tale a reflection of a diverse, global world and saying her interpretation goes beyond beauty; she defends Nolan’s vision and notes the cast’s representativeness, while acknowledging the backlash will persist.
Paapa Essiedu says he has received race-fuelled death threats over his casting as Professor Snape in the HBO Max Harry Potter series, including messages telling him to quit or he’ll be murdered. He says the abuse fuels him and won’t deter his performance, as the series—set to debut in 2027 with a largely new cast—locks in a ten-year commitment for Essiedu.
Odessa A'zion has dropped out of Sean Durkin’s A24 adaptation Deep Cuts after online backlash over her casting as Zoe Gutierrez, a Mexican Jewish character; she said she hadn’t read the book and agreed with the criticism, posting that she’s out and that others could play the role. Deep Cuts is based on Holly Brickley’s 2021 novel and set in the 2000s about two music-obsessed twenty-somethings, with Cailee Spaeny and Drew Starkey starring after Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler exited due to scheduling.
Odessa A’zion has withdrawn from Sean Durkin’s Deep Cuts, the A24 adaptation of Holly Brickley’s novel, following online backlash to her casting as Zoe Gutierrez, a half-Mexican and half-Jewish character. She said she hadn’t read the book when she accepted the role and apologized to fans, noting the project was set to shoot in February with Cailee Spaeny and Drew Starkey.