British actor Letitia Wright is facing a backlash after sharing an anti-vaccination video on her Twitter account.
The video, which she shared on Thursday with a “prayer” emoji, expressed scepticism about the safety and efficacy of both the COVID-19 vaccine – which has been proven to be safe – and vaccines in general. It also contained transphobic content.
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Wright first rose to prominence with a starring role in an episode of Black Mirror. Today, she is best known for her appearances in blockbuster films like Black Panther and Ready Player One, alongside more indie fare like Steve McQueen’s BBC anthology film series Black Axe. Following this controversy, some are already speculating about whether she might get fired from the next Marvel movie.
Following criticism from her followers, Wright responded by tweeting, “if you don’t conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself….you get cancelled”, as well as arguing that it’s “valid” to “simply ask what’s in a [vaccine]”.
Most of the criticism fell into the same bracket: at a time when it’s important that people are willing to take the vaccine, it’s irresponsible for a celebrity to suggest that the process is dangerous. This is exactly why we’ve seen public figures like Barack Obama and Boris Johnson suggest a willingness to get vaccinated in public.
Actor Alex Sawyer replied to the tweet, saying, “This is a frustratingly irresponsible use of a platform.” In response, Wright said, “How so? Did you listen to it fully or jump to conclusions on how I use my platform?” Replying to a different tweet, she wrote, “not my intention to make anyone upset…Nor am I saying don’t take it. I’m just concerned about what’s in it that’s all. Isn’t that fair to question or ask?”
