Earlier this month, it was reported that Letitia Wright had been very vocal in making her feelings about the COVID-19 vaccine known while shooting Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Disney has enforced a new policy that means those who are fully vaccinated will be identified with a wristband while on the set of their movies, and it sounds like Wright took issue.
The actress, who came under fire last year for sharing a transphobic COVID-19 conspiracy video on Twitter, has now responded to the report and denies that there's any truth to it.
"It saddens me to have to address the reports published by The Hollywood Reporter on October 6th 2021. The report spoke about my conduct on the set of Black Panther 2. I honestly assert that this was completely untrue," she says. "Anyone who knows me or has worked with me, knows that I work incredibly hard at my craft & my main focus is always to do work that’s impactful and inspiring. That has been & will continue to be my only focus."
You can read Wright's full response below, but it's worth noting that she says nothing about her perceived anti-vax opinions and fails to encourage her followers to get vaccinated. That's something people have already started picking up on, leading to a fresh round of online backlash.
Following the death of Chadwick Boseman, Wright became a fan-favourite choice to take over as Black Panther in the sequel. It seemed like a natural next step given what happened in the comic books, but the tide has turned, and it no longer appears to be something people want to see.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to be released in theaters on July 8, 2022.