Tom Holland’s Romeo & Juliet responds to racial abuse from fans
Tom Holland’s Romeo & Juliet stage play has become the focus of intense online criticism. The Jamie Lloyd Company issued a message of support for Francesca Amewudah-Rivers after people were lobbing racist comments at her after being cast as Juliet. Holland will star opposite her and the announcement of the play was met with cheers. Now, the theater company has had to step in to let observers know they have the young actress’s back in the face of that kind of abuse online. They issued a statement reiterating their ideals and what they stand for.
“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. 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,” their statement reads. “We will continue to support and protect everyone in our company at all costs. Any abuse will not be tolerated and will be reported.”
A statement from the @JamieLloydCo. pic.twitter.com/C7j7g9ZZNE
— Romeo and Juliet (@RomeoJulietLDN) April 5, 2024
They continued, “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 company will continue to rehearse with generosity and love and focus on the creation of our production.”
Tom Holland Shows Support For His Co-Star
Now, despite all this online ugliness, the Spider-Man star is thrilled to have Amewudah Rivers aboard. When the news first made the rounds, Holland offered a statement in support of his new co-star. When making Romeo & Juliet for the new production, the actor was very involved in deciding who he would share the stage with. So, there’s a tacit endorsement there as well. “Beyond excited to announce our cast for Romeo and Juliet,” Holland previously said. “I can’t wait to get started and I know we’ll create something really special together.”
Francesca Amewudah-Rivers had some words to share in that moment as well. “I’m so grateful to be making my West End debut as Juliet with The Jamie Lloyd Company,” she said. “It’s a dream to be joining this team of incredible artists with Jamie at the helm. I’m excited to bring a fresh energy to this story alongside Tom, and to welcome new audiences to the theatre.”
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