Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Letitia Wright was recently made the target of an article concerning the Academy Awards and some of Hollywood's most problematic figures. The actor has issued a response to the story, slamming the article's writer and the publication.
Wright wrote on social media, "Scott Feinberg and all at this publication. You're all incredibly disrespectful. How dare you. You mentioned my name alongside men who have been accused of abuse & sexual misconduct. This is vile behavior. At this point a personal vendetta towards me. I've done nothing wrong but respectfully refused to do interviews with this publication. Stop your nonsense. I apologised TWO years ago." She went on to explain that she apologized and remained silent after the backlash to her COVID-19 vaccine video and proceeded to question Feinberg's integrity.
The article, written for The Hollywood Reporter, was centered on controversial Oscar contenders and criticized Wright for the views on COVID-19 she seemingly expressed back in 2020. Moreover, the editorial grouped her with other Hollywood figures accused of abuse including Brad Pitt, as well as those accused of sexual assault, such as Roman Polanski, Woody Allen and Bryan Singer.
Feinberg, who noted in the piece that Wright's "anti-vax" controversy is not of the same magnitude as the others mentioned, alleged that the actor continued to push her views on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and appeared to criticize her Oscar-worthiness. Wright has since publicly rebuked these statements.
Black Panther 2 Crew Defend Wright
It should be noted Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore has discussed the rumors about Wright's behavior on set and her views on the COVID-19 vaccines and safety measures. He explained that the actor never discussed her views with the cast or crew and described the news stories as unfair. "I don't know where they're coming from. As someone who literally is on set next to the monitor all the time, I feel like I would have heard it," Moore stated. Additionally, director Ryan Coogler discussed the controversy, placing blame on news outlets for spreading information he suggested was "invented."
In December 2020, Wright shared a video on social media titled "COVID-19 Vaccine, Should We Take It?" The post garnered criticism from Wright's followers for its anti-vax views and for spreading misinformation about the vaccines and about COVID-19 itself. As a result of the post, there were some that demanded Marvel Studios either recast Shuri or scrap the Black Panther sequel.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Instagram