Netflix drops major actor from Wednesday season 2

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A lead star from Netflix hit Wednesday has been dropped from the series.

The cast list for the forthcoming second season, which has commenced filming, was announced on Tuesday (7 May), with Jenna Ortega set to return in the title role after her shock departure from another Netflix project.

Fans will notice that Percy Hynes White, who played psychic student Xavier Thorpe in season one, is absent from the list – a development that follows allegations of sexual misconduct the actor faced, and denied , last year.

Jamie McShane and Naomi J Ogawa will also not be returning as Donovan Galpin and Yoko Tanaka but, unlike their characters, Hynes White was very much established as a major player going into season two. Thre actor has since addressed his absence from the season two cast list.

In January 2023, a series of now-deleted tweets accused Hynes White of alleged sexual activities with several women. In response to the initial tweets, some Wednesday fans campaigned for his removal from the show.

While not mentioning the specific details of the claims against him, Hynes White, 22, said that the tweets were untrue and part of a “campaign of misinformation”.

Joining Ortega in season two of Wednesday will be Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman, who play Morticia and Gomez Addams. New cast members include Scoop actor Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter and Noah Taylor.

Pugsley star Isaac Ordonez and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo will also return as will Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Hunter Doohan, Victor Dorobantu and Fred Armisen, who plays Uncle Fester. Joining the cast will be Steve Buscemi and Thandiwe Newton.

The bursting list of guest stars include Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd, former child star Haley Joel Osment alongside Joanna Lumley, Frances O’Connor, Heather Matarazzo and Star Wars actor Joonas Suotamo.

It is not known whether Hynes White’s role will be recast, or whether another star will play the role.

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Addressing the accusations against him, the actor wrote in an Instagram post shared in June 2023: “Earlier this year, somebody I’ve never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online. Because of this, my family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats.”

“Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful. My friend Jane was falsely portrayed as a victim, and her attempts to set the record straight have been ignored. She gave me permission to include her in this message.”

He continued: “The rumours are false. I can’t accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted, or criminally negligent of people’s safety. These are the kind of baseless, harmful claims that can create mistrust toward victims.

“It’s very distressing to know that this misinformation has upset people. I’m really thankful for everyone who’s stood by me and helped share the facts. Harassment of my family, friends and coworkers needs to stop please. Thank you for taking the time to read this.”

The Independent has contacted Hynes White and Netflix for comment.

Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk.

If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)