Netflix’s Wednesday took the world by storm after its November 2022 debut. The revamped supernatural comedy delighted viewers with its dry humor, genuine horror, and off-kilter characters. One of the key components of the reimagined series was a love triangle between Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Hunter Doohan (Tyler), and Percy Hynes White (Xavier). Fans were captivated by the brooding Xavier and as the series progressed felt more and more sympathetic toward the handsome loner.
That was, until the skeletons — damning abuse allegations — in actor Percy Hynes White’s closet reared their ugly heads just two months after the series hit streaming.
The accusations came from Twitter user @Milkievich — who has since deactivated their account — who shared accusations from several women, as well as details surrounding disturbing incidents that occurred while White was attending High School in Toronto. The allegations span several years, starting when White was 17 and spanning until he was 20. For reference, the actor celebrated his 21st birthday in October, one month before the series premiered.
The allegations — which have been blocked from public viewing — talked about White’s mistreatment of women, alleging that the actor and his friends would, “explicitly invite women they thought were hot so they could get them drunk and high enough to have sex with them.” White has been accused of assaulting multiple women, engaging in verbal abuse, and circulating nude pictures without consent.
Even after #CancelPercy started trending on Twitter, Netflix refused to comment on the scandal, with the only insight into the company’s awareness of the issue revolving around White and his silenced Instagram comments. Costar Jenna Ortega has also refused comment, but the actress has been quietly unfollowing any accounts that shine a light on the controversy.
After six months, fans of the series finally get some commentary on the accusations, though they might be less revealing than many hoped. After months of radio silence, Hynes White is finally speaking out about the accusation. The actor’s message reads,
“Hey everyone. There’s something I need to clarify;”
“Earlier this year, somebody I’ve never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online. Because of this, my family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats.”
“Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful. My friend Jane was falsely portrayed as a victim, and her attempts to set the record straight have been ignored. She gave me permission to include her in this message.”
“The rumors are false. I can’t accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted, or criminally negligent of people’s safety. These are the kind of baseless, harmful claims that can create mistrust toward victims.”
“It’s very distressing to know that this information has upset people. I’m really thankful for everyone who’s stood by me and helped share the facts. Harassment of my family, friends and coworkers needs to stop please. Thank you for taking the time to read this.”
We feel for White’s family and friends, doxxing is dangerous, and we wish it on no one. But this outright denial of the wrongdoing might be too little too late. Many fans are already frustrated with the radio silence, and Hynes White’s outright rebuke of the allegations nearly 6 months later has many fans wondering why he didn’t issue the statement sooner. Despite the negative press, the actor has yet to be removed from season 2 of Wednesday.
While White’s prospects don’t look good, there is always a chance that he truly is innocent. But I won’t hold my breath. Statistically speaking, false reports of sexual assault occur in less than 10% of cases. There is always a possibility that White falls into that category and this letter is evidence of him mustering his legal counsel. Until he provides concrete proof, it seems the tides of public favor are still against the young actor.