NEWSBlack Panther's Letitia Wright Stands By Video Questioning COVID Vaccine, Despite Backlash
Black Panther star Letitia Wright defended posting an anti-vaccine video after facing backlash for questioning the coronavirus vaccine's legitimacy.
"My intention was not to hurt anyone, my ONLY intention of posting the video was it raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies…Nothing else," the 27-year-old tweeted on Friday, December 4.
Wright previously sparked outrage after she questioned why people should take the upcoming vaccine in a video posted to Twitter on Thursday night. The video included commentary from Tomi Arayomi, a senior leader from Light London Church who questioned the legitimacy of the vaccine based on unsubstantiated claims. Arayomi also appeared to be skeptical of climate change, accused China of spreading the novel virus and made transphobic remarks. The tweet has since been deleted.
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Iron Man star Don Cheadle responded to Wright's anti-vaccine commentary, calling it "hot garbage." "I would never defend anybody posting this. but i still won't throw her away over it. the rest i'll take off twitter. had no idea," the 56-year-old tweeted.
"Promoting anti-vaccine propaganda and shrouding it in intellectual curiosity is asinine. And dangerous," Roxane Gay, the author of the Black Panther: World of Wakanda spinoff comic book, wrote.
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Despite the initial criticism, Wright stood by her decision to share her concerns. "Just using my own mind to think – which I'm free to do," she responded to one Twitter user. Wright later tweeted: "If you don’t conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself….you get cancelled."
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The Ready Player One star's commentary comes after the U.K. — which is where Wright grew up — announced it would become the first country to authorize a COVID-19 vaccine.
