Letitia Wright has accused journalists at The Hollywood Reporter of having a “personal vendetta” against her by bringing up her 2020 anti-vaccine controversy in an article about her Oscars chances.
The “Black Panther” actress came under fire two years ago when she shared an anti-vax conspiracy video on Twitter.
Wright swiftly apologized and deleted her account.
The Hollywood Reporter’s awards editor Scott Feinberg published a story titled “How Personal Baggage Will Impact Oscar Chances,” in which he questioned how Will Smith, Brad Pitt, and Wright’s chances might be affected by private controversies.
The article also mentioned the likes of Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, who received nominations at the Oscars despite allegations of abuse.
The Guyanese-British actress responded to the “disrespectful” piece on her Instagram Stories on Monday night.
“How dare you. You mentioned my name alongside men who have been accused of abuse & sexual misconduct. This is vile behavior,” she wrote. “At this point a personal vendetta towards me. I’ve done nothing wrong but respectfully refused to do interviews with this publication. Stop your nonsense.”
The 29-year-old then accused the publication of publishing a false story in October 2021, claiming she expressed anti-vax sentiments on the set of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
She called the report “completely untrue” at the time.
“I apologized TWO years ago,” she wrote of her controversy. “Remained silent on the topic. You lied and said I continued talking about it with my cast and crew on my set. THIS WAS NOT TRUE. ASK MY PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR. The film is successful. Your agenda towards me is now even more clear. I won’t remain silent. Stop your disgusting behavior.”
In a separate message directed at the journalist himself, Wright insisted that she “kept (her) head down” while “the world told me to kill myself two years ago” before turning her attention to the “Black Panther” sequel.
“Did my performance rattle you that much? It was that excellent huh? I’m still here, still making impact, still creating projects that touch peoples (sic) hearts and it’s not going to stop. Get a life, like for real,” she concluded.
In an interview with The Guardian, Wright was asked directly if she had been vaccinated and she replied, “I have apologized and I have moved on. Next question. Thanks.”
