‘The Acolyte’ Star Jodie Turner-Smith Says Disney Can’t Stay Silent When Actors Are ‘Getting F—ing Dog-Piled on the Internet With Racism and Bulls—‘ by Toxic Fans

Jodie Turner-Smith starred as Mother Aniseya, the leader of a coven of space witches, in the short-lived “Star Wars” television series “The Acolyte,” which got canceled earlier this year after one season on Disney+. After news of the show’s cancellation emerged, leading star Amandla Stenberg posted a video in which she said it was not shocking “The Acolyte” was over considering the “hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language” the cast faced from toxic “Star Wars” fans apparently outraged over the cast including actors of color.

In a recent interview with Glamour UK magazine, Turner-Smith criticized Disney for not having Stenberg’s back as she faced racism and online harassment for simply being cast in a “Star Wars” project. As the actor put it: “It’s disappointing to feel like your studio is not having your back in a very public-facing way.”

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“They’ve got to stop doing this thing where they don’t say anything when people are getting fucking dog-piled on the internet with racism and bullshit,” Tuner-Smith said of Disney’s lack of response to “The Acolyte” toxicity. “It’s just not fair to not say anything. It’s really unfair.”

“It would just be nice if the people that have all the money were showing their support and putting their feet down,” she added. “Say this is unacceptable: ‘You’re not a fan if you do this.’ Make a really big statement and just see if any money leaves. I bet you it won’t, because people of color, and especially Black people, make up a very large percentage of buying power. They might find that it’s actually more lucrative for them, but everyone’s using ‘woke’ like it’s a dirty word.”

While it remains to be seen whether or not studios will start actively combating toxic fans, Turner-Smith is staying optimistic when it comes to the future. She told Glamour that “opinions change” and “what’s in vogue changes,” so she’s hopeful that at some point toxicity just grows more muted.

“We’re gonna get there at some point, to that place where people stop having a stick up their [ass] about people of color being a part of IPs that were created by white people,” she said. “You know why? Because we’re never going to fucking stop participating.”

“The Acolyte” aired its season finale in July with initial plans to continue into a second season. Set roughly 100 years before the events of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” the series centered on twin characters Osha and Mae, both played by Stenberg, being pulled a part by the opposing forces of the Jedi and the Sith.

In her reaction to the show’s cancellation, Stenberg said “The Acolyte” cast faced “a rampage of vitriol since the show was even announced, when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it.”

“Of course, I’m very sad about the show being canceled,” Stenberg added at the time. “I just want to let those people know out there who supported us in that way, and supported us vocally — despite and in the face of all of the vitriol that we received and the kind of the targeted attack, I would say, we received by the alt-right — just that you were deeply loved and appreciated. And it made this job all the worthwhile for me.”

The first and only season of “The Acolyte” is available to stream on Disney+.