Letitia Wright denies a report that claims she is expressing anti-vaccination views on the set of Black Panther 2. Following a few COVID-19 related delays, production of the sequel to 2018’s Black Panther began in Atlanta this past June ahead of its July 2022 release date. Original director Ryan Coogler is returning along with writer Joe Robert Cole. However, the sequel had to be reworked considerably following the tragic passing of T’Challa actor Chadwick Boseman. The film will see Black Panther stars Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong’o, and Winston Duke reprising their roles.
There has been a lot of intriguing news coming out of the Black Panther 2 set as of late, including the revelation that Dominique Thorne will be making her MCU debut in the film as Riri Williams, a brilliant inventor who creates her own Iron Man suit, ahead of her upcoming Disney+ series, Ironheart. Letitia Wright, who will be returning as Shuri, was hospitalized in late August after suffering a minor onset injury, though she was able to return soon after. Earlier this month, Wright became embroiled in another controversy when The Hollywood Reporter claimed she was speaking out against the COVID-19 vaccine on set.
Now, Letitia Wright denies those claims in an Instagram post. The actress says it “saddens” her to have to address the report published by THR and went on to “honestly assert” that the claims made about her conduct on the set of Black Panther 2 are “completely untrue.” Wright went on to defend her work ethic and say that her “main focus is always to do work that’s impactful and inspiring.” Read Wright’s entire statement on Instagram below:
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While Wright unequivocally denies the claims made by THR, she didn’t clarify her actual beliefs about the COVID-19 vaccine or whether or not she has been vaccinated herself. Wright has shared similar sentiments on social media, including a YouTube video that questioned the legitimacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. The report claims this resulted in her parting ways with her entire US team of representatives, though Wright didn’t address that claim specifically.
Wright has since deleted that video from her social media, and this statement on Instagram is her first post since the controversy began. Though she has now denied claims about espousing anti-vaccine beliefs, the evidence is undoubtedly mounted against her. Disney will start requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination for anyone working on their productions, though those already filming, like Black Panther 2, will be exempt from this mandate. While Wright could finish the rest of the film without further controversy, this could pose challenges for her future in the MCU.
Source: Letitia Wright/Instagram