"Riverdale" Creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Apologised After Vanessa Morgan Called Out The Show's Sidelining Of Black Characters
"Riverdale will be part of the movement, not outside it."
The creator of Riverdale, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, has apologised and promised to "do better" after cast member Vanessa Morgan accused the show of sidelining its black characters.
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Over the weekend, Vanessa — who has played Toni Topaz on the show since 2017 — responded to a tweet which claimed her co-star Ashleigh Murray was written off the show for "diva" behaviour.
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"I hate black women being called divas for sticking up for themselves," she wrote in a tweet. "Maybe the show should write for her like the white characters."
In an additional statement, Vanessa expressed her frustration at black characters being portrayed negatively, or else sidelined in favour of white leads and only used in ads for diversity.
I’m not being Quite anymore. ✊🏽 #BlackLivesMatter
In follow-up tweets, she said she was the "only black series regular but also paid the least", and vowed that she would no longer take roles that don't properly represent the black community.
@oneofthosefaces Lmao too bad I’m the only black series regular but also paid the least 😂👏🏽 girl i could go on for days 🐸
She also added that her comments have "nothing to do with [her] fellow castmates", and appeared to specifically call out Riverdale's writers for her lack of representation in storylines.
My role on Riverdale has nothing to do with my fellow castmates/friends. They don’t write the show. So no need to attack them, they don’t call the shots & I know they have my back. ♥️
And now the show's creator has responded to Vanessa's accusations, admitting in a statement posted to Instagram that she is right and promising that the writers will "do better to honour her and the character she plays".
"Change is happening and will continue to happen," wrote creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. "Riverdale will get bigger, not smaller. Riverdale will be part of the movement, not outside it."
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He concluded by saying that all the Riverdale writers had made financial donations to the Black Lives Matter movement.
While Vanessa hasn't responded, she did retweet the statement on Twitter.
Twitter / Twitter: @vanessamorgan