A week ago, the Hollywood Reporter did a fascinating and infuriating story about what’s happening in Hollywood with the vaccine and certain studios’ vaccine mandates. The crux of the story was that the big-name actors were doing whatever they wanted when it came to the Covid vaccine, and there are apparently several people who are complete anti-Vaxxers. In the THR piece, they mentioned that Letitia Wright is one of the people to share their anti-vaccine views on social media and “a set source says she has espoused similar views about the COVID-19 vaccines on the Atlanta production” of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I took that to mean that Letitia has flatly refused to get vaccinated, and whenever she’s challenged on that, she spouts some anti-vaxx talking point about “doing her own research” or what have you. Well, Letitia posted a new Instagram and she’s denying that report:
God bless you all. It saddens me to have to address the reports published by The Hollywood Reporter on October 6th 2021. The report spoke about my conduct on the set of black Panther 2. I honestly assert that this was completely untrue.
Anyone who knows me or has worked with me, knows that I work incredibly hard at my craft & my main focus is always to do work that’s impactful and inspiring. That has been & will continue to be my only focus.
I will continue to hold onto Gods hands, and onto the scripture of Isaiah 54:17. I continue to focus on my healing. Thank you for your prayers. And I continue to pray for Gods love, peace & joy for you all.
God bless you.
Letitia.
[From Letitia Wright’s Instagram]
A flat denial, except that last year, she was perfectly clear (and bonkers) about her anti-vaxx beliefs. I feel like this is this kind of situation where if someone was vaccinated (either through a work-mandate or because they had seen the light), they would just come out and say some version of “I was hesitant but now I’m vaccinated.” The fact that she’s deflecting to “I work incredibly hard at my craft & my main focus is always to do work that’s impactful and inspiring” is just that, a deflection. She is a talented actress and she’s playing a beloved character in the MCU. That is true. It can also be true that she’s been a giant pain in the ass about vaccines on the Atlanta set of BP:WF.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
She just realized she put her job and career on the line.
Yeah it to be honest I at least am a bit loving the fact that her “servant of Christ!” bull***t schtick goes right out the window once the Mouse waves a paycheck. She doesn’t so much serve (her version of) Jesus as she does Mickey…and I hope it is eating her up inside.
Friending reminder she posted an anti-Vaxx video from a transphobic preacher before rambling on about “Luciferase Antibodies” being satanic. So she’s dumber than dirt and should not be in a position to be a role model for any child. I’m really thinking I don’t need to pay to see this movie if she’s centred in it. 🤷♀️
Am a bit surprised it took her this long to issue a denial which makes me think she had no intention of doing so and she had been told to make this statement – this has to be hurting her career opportunities and for her name to be made public means she must have really p!ssed off people on that set. Given that she has parted ways with her entire US team means that there is more tea – this is not something that happens lightly. Has she replaced the team with new people or does she not have US rep?
Its all very sad, she is a talented actress who has the world at her feet.
PR damage control that she has been pushed into. I was wondering how long this would take after THR article came out.
I’m betting the US team told her to get vaccinated and she dropped them all or they threw up their hands and were done with her.
I’m sure her fellow cast members were upset she would not get vaccinated and that she continued to act in her mind righteously.
She doesn’t have a PR team, She has a legal team and agents. That’s it. Identity Agency group out of London (agents) & Lawyers out of LA. Pretty sure she got dropped by everyone else, am I right?
I think it’s telling that nobody from the movie came to her defense *if* this story were false. If you knew a coworker was getting dragged for something not true, wouldn’t you say something?
“Completely untrue.” Hmm. But she spends the rest of her post talking about how hard working she is, God, scripture, etc.
It’s usually a red flag to me when people use God in every sentence and quote the Bible. That usually means they are guilty of what they are being accused of. She had to delete her Twitter after posting some anti vax video where the guy was also being transphobic.She’s one of those far right evangelicals who thinks they are above criticism and judgment. She’s definitely anti vax and the fact it took her a week to post this tells me she was forced to do this. Marvel/Disney has no patience for these kinds of leaks and it had to be bad for someone to name check her. She is going to learn the hard way that she is a liability and I could see them replacing her or sidelining her and giving Michaela Cole a bigger role. Girl collect the check and STFU!
If this was completely untrue she would have said she was vaccinated. Maybe she didn’t push antivax narratives on set but people would have known about her views she made it public last summer.
When she started talking about her faith so openly I found that so refreshing. The fact that she used that to puch antivax and transphobic agenda made me so disappointed in her. I still wish well anyway.
Many anti-vaxxers claim they’re not anti-vax. They say they’re just worried about side effects, or concerned this was made so fast.
So it’s possible she really doesn’t think she spread anti-vax sentiment. Because in her mind, she’s just “asking questions”
Exactly this! She’s done her own research, as they say.
That’s great that she’s hardworking and all, but that in no way refutes or addresses whether or not she espoused anti-science rhetoric or whether or not she took Covid precautions seriously on set. Notice how she doesn’t say it’s a false characterization or that of course she’s vaccinated.
This is totally a deflection, and it’s not even well done. Bye, Leticia!
Exactly they twist it to talk about ‘medical freedom’ blah blah blah
I don’t see it as a complete denial. She seems to be only addressing the “unprofessional” part, and deflecting away from the anti-vaxx part. People like that don’t see their stance on vaccination as unprofessional, so of course she sees nothing wrong with that.
This makes me sad, because she is ruining the Black Panther franchise for me, and I was already leery after Chadwick Boseman’s passing.
@Heat – I agree with your reading. She has not addressed the vaccine at all, rather choosing to pivot to comments about “professionalism”. No one is asking about her “craft” or her intention to be “impactful”. Covid outbreak on the set would certainly have an impact!!! This type of religious expression is just so confrontational. What’s all this? It’s a comic book movie! Way too much obstinate, antagonistic energy. She clearly has no PR team.
Shuri could have really led the franchise after Boseman’s (tragic, forever heartbreaking) passing — after all, Shuri is next-in-line to the throne after T’Challa and his natural heir — but with Wright turning out to be such a fervent anti-vaxxer, I doubt Disney/Marvel will ever have her be the main player in Black Panther. It’s sad but ah well at least BP is chock full of stupendous actors, any of whom could be the lead.
Yup. I sincerely hope Feige is phasing her out. I believe Disney has just issued a vaccine mandate. If she doesn’t get vaxxed, she’s out.
I have zero time or energy for this idiot.
When asked about anti-vax Hollywood types (and others), Giancarlo Esposito said it best,”Go live on an island.”
If they’re keeping James Gunn, William Hurt, and Chris Pratt – they don’t have a good enough reason to fire her.
Disney was literally ready to give Carano her own series until that Holocaust comment/post.
I think they’d need more than speculation and one prior post to fire her.
(If they’re keeping James Gunn, William Hurt, and Chris Pratt – they don’t have a good enough reason to fire her.)
THANK YOU!
I don’t like Letitia, but people are too quick to hate on her when there are way worse people working for Marvel, like Crisp Ratt himself. If they don’t fire him first, they don’t have the moral high ground to fire her.
It’s not a denial. She didn’t mention vaccines at all in her statement which makes me think the gist of the reporting was true. Like maybe she didn’t specifically tell other actors not to get vaccinated, but she was shoving anti-vax brochures at them and bombarding them with some of those bigoted fundie videos she loves so much.
If Disney is smart, they will speed up her slow fade.