Jodie Turner-Smith is calling it like it is when it comes to the racism and hate directed at her and her costars on The Acolyte . During an interview with Glamour U.K.
earlier this month, Turner-Smith, 38, called out Disney for the alleged lack of support they provided after The Acolyte received backlash from toxic fans. “They’ve got to stop doing this thing where they don’t say anything when people are getting f—ing dog-piled on the internet with racism and bulls—,” Turner-Smith said about the network not publicly addressing the negative response toward the show’s inclusivity. “It’s just not fair to not say anything.
It’s really unfair.” Turner-Smith, who played Mother Aniseya, wished there was more of a “really big statement” on the matter, especially since there are so many people of color and “especially Black people” who support the Star Wars brand. “It would just be nice if the people that have all the money — whether that be Disney or any studio — were showing their support and putting their feet down.
Say this is unacceptable: ‘You’re not a fan if you do this,'” she continued. “They might find that it’s actually more lucrative for them, but everyone’s using ‘woke’ like it’s a dirty word.” The Acolyte , which premiered on Disney+ in June, was set before the events of The Skywalker Saga as a series of murders led Jedi Master Sol ( Lee Jung-jae) to reconnect with former pupil Osha ( Amandla Stenberg ) — and her no.
