Nearly 900 Black ladies actors have rallied to assist “Romeo & Juliet” star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers.
It was just lately introduced that Amewudah-Rivers could be tackling the lead love curiosity within the William Shakespeare traditional alongside Tom Holland, who will painting Romeo. Since then, Amewudah-Rivers has been the topic of surprising on-line racist assaults. Juliet has been performed by white actresses in a number of variations of the Shakespeare playwright, which has solely fueled hateful bigots.
Francesca amewudah-rivers an Ic3 feminine with broad nostril slated as to ugly and abused on-line for taking part in Juliet in West finish play Romeo and Juliet. Many males stated there isn’t any manner Romeo would kill himself over such a under common girl #RomeoAndJuliet #EclipseSolar2024 #tomholland pic.twitter.com/lBmjF2xH5N
— The beginning, the top and the center (@KTHELASTANGEL) April 9, 2024
Juliet is suppose to be ethereal, dainty and exquisite Francesca Amewudah-Rivers will not be even objectively engaging it has nothing to do with racism some ppl are simply ugly… take care of it
— 🩷✨child woman✨🩷 (@hell0kittybimb0) April 5, 2024
Francesca Amewudah-Rivers will star alongside Tom Holland within the new play “Romeo & Juliet”, which opens on Could 23 on the Duke of York’s Theatre
What do you consider this casting? pic.twitter.com/iMNvZBK3PN
— Epic Sax Man (@FloridaManPig) April 1, 2024
Such assaults have motivated a wave of Black performers to assist Amewudah-Rivers. This contains British actresses Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who all signed the letter titled “A Letter Of Solidarity With Our Juliet – Francesca Amewudah-Rivers.” Susan Wokoma and the author Somalia Nonyé Seaton organized the letter, which referred to as for honest remedy of Black ladies entertainers.
“When information of Francesca Amewudah-Rivers’ casting in Jamie Lloyd’s manufacturing of Romeo and Juliet was introduced, so many individuals celebrated and welcomed this information. Many people took to social media to bathe our child sis with love and congratulations,” the letter learn, earlier than admitting that the celebration for Amewudah-Rivers took a nasty flip fairly shortly. “What adopted was a too acquainted horror that many people seen Black darkish skinned performers have skilled. The racist and misogynistic abuse directed at such a candy soul has been an excessive amount of to bear.”
Director Jamie Lloyd has additionally launched an announcement slamming the social media assaults. He has additionally declared that anybody perpetrating such hate on-line might be reported.
Amewudah-Rivers has turned off her Instagram feedback amid the backlash.
