Netflix’s mega-hit Wednesday survived the streamer’s cancelation spree in 2023 and got the green light for a second season. But the future was not bright for its characters, especially for Percy Hynes White, whose sudden fame in 2022 was steamrolled by what 2023 bought in just as the year took off.
It all started early in January 2023, when shocking allegations of sexual assault and other accusations cropped up against White. At the time — i.e., throughout 2023 — Netflix kept mum, refusing to confirm if the alarming claims have cost the actor his role as Xavier Thorpe in the hit series. But now that the series has officially begun shooting, the streamer has shared its big list of returning and new actors for the show.
What are the allegations against Percy Hynes White?
The said allegations, made by multiple women including @milkievich who shared them on Twitter, reveal some very disturbing details about incidents initiated by and involving White when he was a high schooler in Toronto as well as the ones that took place when he was between the ages of 17 and 20.
One of the allegations made in this thread claimed that White and his group of friends are “predators” and “manipulate girls.” They allegedly threw parties only to “explicitly invite women they thought were hot so they could get them drunk and high enough to have sex with them.” White has also been accused of assaulting multiple women, calling them names, sharing their nude pictures online without consent, and targeting minors.
Many other women have also accused the Wednesday star of sexually assaulting them and even aiding a rapist.
The thread also claims that a deleted account by the name of @impercenator was actually White’s page on Twitter via which he made a string of problematic tweets.
A video of White uttering a racial slur also cropped up, further flaming the #cancelpercy campaign on Twitter.
While White didn’t respond to the accusations immediately, only disabling the comments on his Instagram page in the wake of the controversy, he did address the allegations in June 2023 and called it a “campaign of misinformation.”
“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.”
But his six-month-long delay in answering the allegations did little to undo the damage as even when no fresh claims against the actor cropped up, the glaring accusations left Wednesday fans scrambling to find the answer to one big question… which has finally been answered.
Will Percy Hynes White’s Xavier Thorpe return in Wednesday season 2?
Netflix has revealed its cast members for the second season of Wednesday and Percy Hynes White is not on it. So, it is official — there will be no Xavier Thorpe the next time we see Wednesday at Nevermore, a certain long-haired individual who was upped to the status of being her next love interest (after her first love turned out to be a fictional monster) will no longer be present.
Of course, Jenna Ortega is returning — she even dropped Scream 7 for the series— and so are Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Isaac Ordonez, Joy Sunday, and many more. But clearly, as much as Netflix tried to act all nonchalant about the whole controversy, all the while decisions were being made so as to not jeopardize their show’s reputation.
It’s not like White’s supporters and fans didn’t try to stop the inevitable. Between the actor’s supporters filing a petition to ensure he doesn’t lose his projects because of the allegations and his fans ready to strike an argument with those demanding his instant removal from the show, White had a number of voices in his corner. But as 2023 progressed, ignoring whether or not he will still have a future with Netflix became harder.
Going by the explosive can of worms the original accusations kicked open and considering the fate of celebs who have faced similar allegations, guessing his most probable fate wasn’t difficult. The past few years have been eye-opening when it comes to the seemingly glittery world of celebs. Many had their problematic past and toxic attitudes out in the open for the world to see and found themselves reaping the seeds they sowed.
Kevin Spacey lost out on almost all his roles after sexual allegations against him came to light in 2017. Danny Masterson, who has been facing multiple allegations of sexual assault, was fired by Netflix from The Ranch. Last we heard about Armie Hammer — after he lost all prospective projects as stomach-churning allegations against him surfaced — he was seen selling timeshare in the Cayman Islands. The latest example would be Jonathan Majors, who was swiftly removed from the MCU after he was found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend.
Of course, fans of the series already have a list of names that can replace the actor, but that part of the debate will only gain proper steam once Netflix decides to share exactly what it plans to do with the character of Xavier Thorpe.
