"Romeo And Juliet" Star Slammed For Not Being Attractive Enough To Play Juliet
Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who plays Juliet, has been called "ugly" and a "man," among other things. Are people taking it too far?
Not everyone is a fan of the casting in the latest Romeo & Juliet.
Earlier this year, the casting for London's Duke of York's Theatre's live stage adaptation of Romeo & Juliet was announced, with Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as the leading couple.
The news garnered controversy on X, with many disgruntled that Amewudah-Rivers was chosen to play Juliet. The rising star was called "ugly" by social media users, who began comparing images of the live rendition to the old Romeo & Juliet film, which featured Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the love-struck teens.
While some were upset that a black woman was chosen for the play, many argued that a "more attractive" black actress should have been cast.
Others posted memes of Holland and Amewudah-Rivers to mock her appearance.
However, many people came to the star's defense. "1. romeo and juliet is fictional 2. the 1996 film romeo and juliet was not the first film adaptation of william shakespeare's play," notes @rwyleric. She continues, "3. romeo and juliet is not a movie; it’s a play 4. francesca is not the first black woman to play juliet 5. the first juliet was played by a man."
The bullying got so bad that the production company had to speak out against it.
“Following the announcement of our ‘Romeo & Juliet’ cast, there has been a barrage of deplorable racial abuse online directed towards a member of our company," their statement reads. "This must stop. We are working with a remarkable group of artists. We insist that they are free to create work without facing online harassment. We will continue to support and protect everyone in our company at all costs. Any abuse will not be tolerated and will be reported.”
"Bullying and harassment have no place online, in our industry or in our wider communities. Our rehearsal room is full of joy, compassion and kindness. We celebrate the extraordinary talent of our incredible collaborators. The Romeo & Juliet community will continue to rehearse with generosity and love, and focus on the creation of our production."
Despite all of the negative comments online, the cast of Romeo & Juliet received a standing ovation.
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