The 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' actor is urged to 'say something, ANYTHING' about the racial abuse hurled at his West End female co-star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers.
- Apr 9, 2024
AceShowbiz - "Bridgerton" actress Arsema Adeoluwayemi Hamera has urged Tom Holland to speak out in support of his "Romeo and Juliet" co-star, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who has faced "a barrage of deplorable racial abuse" online.
Last month, "Bad Education" star Amewudah-Rivers was cast as Juliet opposite Holland's Romeo in the upcoming West End production. However, the announcement was met with a wave of racist comments on social media.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Hamera, who played young Lady Danbury in "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story", shared a plea from HBO actress Selina Jones urging Holland to address the issue. "I need my guy to say something, ANYTHING, about the disgusting racial abuse being thrown at our angel Fran," Jones wrote.
Several others echoed this sentiment on X (formerly Twitter), criticizing Holland for his silence. "It is incredibly embarrassing and indicting that a dark-skinned black woman who has nothing to do with your production is urging you to defend your own co-star," one person wrote.
However, some fans defended Holland, citing that he rarely uses social media. The Jamie Lloyd Company, which is producing Romeo and Juliet, released a statement condemning the abuse and vowing to "continue to support and protect everyone in our company."
The cast announcement for "Romeo and Juliet" also includes Freema Agyeman, Michael Balogun, Tomiwa Edun, Mia Jerome, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Ray Sesay, Nima Taleghani, Joshua-Alexander Williams, Callum Heinrich, and Kody Mortimer. The production is set to run from May 11 to August 3 at The Duke of York's Theatre.
