Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Actors Condemn Racist Abuse Hurled At Black Actor Set To Play Juliet Opposite Tom Holland's Romeo

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers; Tom Holland
Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images; Lionel Hahn/Getty Images

More than 800 actors signed an open letter to decry the racist attacks on Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who is set to star as Juliet in 'Romeo and Juliet' in London opposite Tom Holland.

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers has been cast as Juliet to Tom Holland's Romeo in The Jamie Lloyd Company’s Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London opening on May 11.

Amewudah-Rivers is more than qualified for the role as she previously starred in the William Shakespeare plays Macbeth and Othello, as well as Antigone by Sophocles, in London theaters.


Heartbreakingly, however, the casting choice has been met with racist and misogynistic hate online.

In response to the nonsensical vitriol, though, more than 800 Black female and nonbinary actors have signed an open letter to condemn the attacks on Amewudah-Rivers.

The letter, organized byEnola Holmes actor Susan Wokoma and writer Somalia Nonyé Seaton, is titled "A LETTER OF SOLIDARITY WITH OUR JULIET - FRANCESCA AMEWUDAH-RIVERS."

The letter begins by expressing the joy people experienced when they learned Amewudah-Rivers was cast as Juliet.

"When news of Francesca Amewudah-Rivers’ casting in Jamie Lloyd’s production of 'Romeo and Juliet' was announced so many people celebrated and welcomed this news."
"Many of us took to social media to shower our baby sis with love and congratulations- a huge deal for someone so young in their career. A huge rising talent."

Sadly, however, racist attacks on the actor dampened the celebration.

"But then what followed was a too familiar horror that too many of us visible Black dark skinned performers have experienced."
"The racist and misogynistic abuse directed at such a sweet soul has been too much to bear."
"For a casting announcement of a play to ignite such twisted ugly abuse is truly embarrassing for those so empty and barren in their own lives that they must meddle in hateful abuse."
"Too many times Black performers - particularly Black actresses - are left to face the storm of online abuse after committing the crime of getting a job on their own."

It continued that the artists signing the letter stand with The Jamie Lloyd Company and Amewudah-Rivers.

"We welcome The Jamie Lloyd Company’s statement and we hope that their statement will extend to committed emotional support for Francesca on her journey with the production."
"Too many times theatre companies, broadcasters, producers, steamers have failed to offer any help or support when their Black artists face racist and misogynistic abuse."
"Reporting is too often left on the shoulders of the abused who are also then expected to promote said show."

The Jamie Lloyd Company also released a statement addressing the online abuse.

"Following the announcement of our 'Romeo & Juliet' cast, there has been a barrage of deplorable racial abuse online directed towards a member of our company."
"This must stop."
"We are working with a remarkable group of artists. We insist that they are free to create work without facing online harassment."
"We will continue to support and protect everyone in our company at all costs. Any abuse will not be tolerated and will be reported."
"Bullying and harassment have no place online, in our industry or in our wider communities."
"Our rehearsal room is full of joy, compassion and kindness. We celebrate the extraordinary talent of our incredible collaborators."
"The 'Romeo & Juliet' community will continue to rehearse with generosity and love and focus on the creation of our production."

People on social media agreed the racist attacks and harassment must end.



Many also shared their disgust that a letter and statement like these had to be written in the first place.








Besides Amewudah-Rivers and Holland, the play will also star Doctor Who alum Freema Agyeman playing the Nurse, Michael Balogun as the Friar, Joshua Alexander-Williams as Mercutio, Daniel Quinn-Toye as Paris, and Nima Tahlegani as Tybalt.

Romeo and Juliet is running at the Duke of York’s Theatre from May 11 through August 3.

More from Entertainment/celebrities

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less