After being absent from Netflix’s Wednesday season 2 cast announcement, Percy Hynes White has confirmed he is not returning to the hit series.
Taking to social media on Tuesday, May 7, to address speculation sparked by the streaming service’s official cast reveal, White, 22, had nothing but praise for the critically acclaimed show, which will return to screens in 2025.
“I had so much fun working on this show,” the actor wrote via his Instagram Story alongside a photograph of the complete season 2 cast. “I can’t wait to watch season 2. Much love.”
White, who played Xavier Thorpe and harbored a crush on Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, in season 1, has faced claims of sexual assault since the show’s debut.
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In early 2023, the hashtag #cancelpercy spread across X, formerly Twitter, after a user posted about the Gifted actor’s accused predatory behavior. The posts have since been deleted.
White was also accused of sending images of himself to minors and using a racial slur during a performance.
The actor has vehemently denied the accusations, posting to Instagram in June 2023 to address the claims.
“Hey everyone. There’s something I need to clarify,” he wrote at the time. “Earlier this year, somebody I’ve never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online. Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful.”
White claimed that the rumors were “false,” adding, “I can’t accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted, or criminally negligent of people’s safety.”
In addition to White’s absence, Naomi J. Owaga, who portrayed Nevermore Academy student Yoko Tanaka, was also omitted from Netflix’s casting reveal earlier this week.
On the flipside, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo will all be promoted to series regulars for season 2.
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Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter and Noah Taylor were also revealed as newly added castmembers.
During its first season, which premiered in November 2022, Wednesday nabbed two Golden Globe nominations and several Emmy nominations. The show reimagines the classic character of Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family as she learns to harness her psychic powers after her parents, Gomez and Morticia Addams, send her to a boarding school.
While White may not be returning for the Netflix comedy, he and Ortega, 21, do have another project in the works. The pair also star together in the upcoming Winter Spring Summer or Fall which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on Thursday, June 6.
White also recently wrapped work on Whistle alongside Nick Frost and Dafne Keen.
