The Flash star Candice Patton has opened up about why she decided to stay on the show for all nine seasons, despite wanting to leave early on due to the racist harassment she received from toxic "fans."

Last year, Patton -- who plays Iris West-Allen on The Flash -- revealed that she wanted to leave the DC show after just two seasons as a result of the racist and misogynistic comments that certain audience members would regularly hurl her way. Much of the harassment stemmed from the fact that Patton was a Black woman playing a character who had often been depicted as white in the DC comics. Now, on the eve of The Flash's series finale, Patton has explained why she ultimately decided to stick with the show, citing the responsibility she felt to the diverse fans she represented.

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"It's never been easy, and I think it's still hard," Patton said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "It's getting easier, we're talking about it a lot more. But I had to learn a lot through trial and error, and I'm really proud of myself, of what I was able to accomplish, and how I was able to advocate for myself while I was there. I learned so much, and I'm really, really grateful for that. And I'm really grateful with the network and the studio-- I feel like we grew together. Black Lives Matter happened in the middle of our show and companies were learning and reevaluating in the moment, and I was really grateful to be working with a network and a studio that was open to hearing my thoughts and changing some things and trying to make it better for the future."

Candice Patton Has Discussed Her Experiences Before

Patton previously discussed her experiences with toxic fandom during an appearance on the aptly-titled Open Up Podcast in July 2022. "Now people understand how fans can be racist, especially in genre, misogynistic, all of that. But at the time, it was kind of like, 'That's how fans are, but whatever.' Even with the companies I was working with, [The] CW, Warner Bros., I think that was their way of handling it," Patton said of her early days on The Flash.

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"For me in 2014, there were no support systems," she continued. "It was free-range to get abused every single day... It's just not enough to make me your lead female and say, 'Look at us, we're so progressive, we checked the box.'" However, Patton ultimately stated that she thinks studios "know better know," adding, "It's not okay to treat your talent that way, to let them go through abuse and harassment."

The Flash Crosses the Finish Line

The Flash premiered its ninth and final season on The CW this past February. The four-part series finale, "A New World," is slated to air its final installment tomorrow night, bringing the DC show's nine-year, 184-episode run to an end. The episode's official synopsis reads as follows: "THE FINAL RUN - The Flash (Grant Gustin), the fastest man alive, is tasked with his greatest challenge yet, to save the timeline and save existence. Friends old and new gather for an epic battle to save Central City, one last time."

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The series finale of The Flash, "A New World, Part Four," airs tomorrow, May 24 on The CW.

Source: Entertainment Weekly