Tom Holland Slammed For Not Publicly Defending ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Co-Star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers Amid Racist Internet Attacks 

Tom Holland, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Tom Holland Slammed For Not Publicly Defending ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Co-Star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers Amid Racist Internet Attacks

Another Black actress is facing unwarranted scrutiny because of the color of her skin.

Unfortunately, the world hasn’t learned much since Halle Bailey was cast in the 2023 musical film “The Little Mermaid.” If you recall, the 24-year-old actress found herself at the center of racist attacks online following news that she landed the iconic role of Ariel. Around that same time, Dominique Fishback, 33, spoke on the hate she received as a Black woman for securing a leading role in the film “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.”

The public is fed up with Black actresses seemingly having to tackle racist trolls by themselves and many are calling for a change. The recent outrage stems from the casting announcement that Tom Holland, 27, and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers will star in the West End production of “Romeo & Juliet.” The highly-anticipated theater production is set to run for 12 weeks at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London from May 11 until Aug. 3.

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

After Francesca Amewudah-Rivers shared the exciting news of her latest project to IG, it wasn’t long until the comment section was filled with racist and misogynistic remarks. Supporters of the rising entertainer have started to come to her defense, with some calling for her more famous co-star, Tom Holland, to speak up as well. “Queen Charlotte” actress Arséma Thomas directly mentioned the “Spider-Man: Homecoming” star in her post, writing,

“You lot need to put pressure pon @tomholland2013’s head* top – I need my guy to say something, ANYTHING, about the disgusting racial abuse being thrown at our angel Fran”

Agreeing to the call-to-action, another person said,

“I actually agree wholeheartedly because the number of Black women and girls (!!!) who get thrown to rabid, racist fan bases with little to no PUBLIC shows of support by costars is just unconscionable”

The production company behind the “Romeo & Juliet” play has released a statement condemning the harsh treatment Francesca Amewudah-Rivers has had to deal with.

However, many are still demanding Tom Holland use his platform to call out the racist critics as well. While others have argued a statement from Holland won’t change the minds of racist individuals

See more reactions below:

What are your thoughts on this entire situation? Do you think Tom Holland should say something? Tell us in the comments below!