Letitia Wright has spoken out after her 2020 vaccine misinformation controversy was mentioned in an article about how it and Brad Pitt and Will Smith’s “personal baggage” might have an impact on the upcoming slate of Academy Award nominations.
The article in question comes from the Hollywood Reporter and sees Wright’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cited alongside Smith in Emancipation and Pitt in Babylon as being examples of performances attached to “personal controversies” of each respective actor.
Smith, of course, slapped Chris Rock at the prior edition of the Oscars ceremony. In October, Angelina Jolie was reported to have accused Pitt of abuse against her and their children in a court filing.
In Instagram Stories updates on Monday, Wright—who previously apologized for sharing what was widely criticized as an anti-vaccine video—called the decision to include her controversy in a piece about Smith and Pitt “incredibly disrespectful.” She also accused the outlet of having a “personal vendetta” against her.
“How dare you,” she wrote in one post. “You mentioned my name alongside men who have been accused of abuse [and] sexual misconduct. This is vile behavior.” Notably, prior Oscars winners like Roman Polanski and Woody Allen were also mentioned in the THR piece.
In a follow-up post, Wright elaborated further while also noting she was now on “the other side” of her controversy.
“I’ve remained silent as the world told me to kill myself two years ago for a video I posted and [apologized] for,” she said “I kept my head down and focused on my craft.”
See more from Wright, who also briefly addressed the 2020 controversy in a recent Guardian interview (“I have apologized and I have moved on”), below.
Among the still-in-progress discourse surrounding 2023 Oscars buzz, Angela Bassett’s performance in the Black Panther sequel has also been mentioned as among those potentially vying for the Best Supporting Actress category.
For a rundown of all the Easter eggs and hidden references you may have missed with your first viewing of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, hit this link. The Ryan Coogler-directed blockbuster is in theaters now.
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