Black actress starring with Tom Holland in ‘Romeo & Juliet’ faces ‘barrage’ of racism

The announcement that Black actress Francesca Amewudah-Rivers would star as Juliet alongside Tom Holland as Romeo in a theater production of the classic play brought on a “barrage of deplorable racial abuse,” the director said on social media.

“This must stop,” the Jamie Lloyd Company said in a statement on Instagram Friday, April 5. “We are working with a remarkable group of artists. We insist that they are free to create work without facing online harassment.”

The company stopped short of saying the online abuse was directed at Amewudah-Rivers, instead saying it was directed “towards a member of our company,” the statement says.

Some of the abusive comments centered around Amewudah-Rivers’ ethnicity.

“But the character is white,” one person commented on Instagram as Amewudah-Rivers announced her casting.

Many other comments also congratulated Rivers on being cast in the role.

Several of the comments appeared on the announcement that Amewudah-Rivers posted to her Instagram.

“The history that you are writing???” one fan said. “You are everything. An Angel and a star. You’re gonna thrive.”

Rivers is a relative newcomer and has appeared in “several TV shows, plays and short films, including ’Bad Education,’” according to the LBC, a radio station in England.

On being cast, she said: “I’m so grateful to be making my West End debut as Juliet with The Jamie Lloyd Company,” the outlet reported. “It’s a dream to be joining this team of incredible artists with Jamie at the helm. I’m excited to bring a fresh energy to this story alongside Tom, and to welcome new audiences to the theatre.”

Black artists in the entertainment and theater industry rallied around Amewudah-Rivers on social media.

“I’m not gonna share those disgusting racist tweets, but I’m gonna state that Francesca is a gorgeous human being — both inside and out,” writer and director Tristan Fynn-Aidenu said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I can’t wait to see her in @JamieLloydCo’s Romeo & Juliet and ... eat it up like I know she can. The people that know, KNOW.”

Other writers and fans agreed in comments on the post.

“Fran is a superstar she’s going to be a phenomenal Juliet,” playwright Laurie Ogden said.

“Agreed,” writer Ashlee Elizabeth-Lolo said. “Fran is radiant, kind and an all-round beautiful soul. She’s gonna smash this role.”

Musical theater actress and singer Marisha Wallace shared the post and chimed in with her own message of support.

“Fran I went through this same thing when I was cast as Adelaide,” Wallace said of her role in “Guys and Dolls” in 2002. “People questioned and now I’m nominated for an Olivier (award) for the role. So don’t listen to uneducated people. Go smash this role! We have to be the change we want to see in the world.”

“It sadly feels inevitable any actor who wasn’t Zendaya would get harassment from a certain portion of Tom Holland fans when Juliet was announced,” musical theater blogger Mica Blackwell said in the comments. “The fact it’s racial abuse happening to a beautiful dark-skinned Black actress in her West End debut makes it 1000 times worse.”

Holland, who has starred in the “Spider-Man” superhero films, has not commented publicly on the backlash behind Amewudah-Rivers’ casting.

The company said it would “support and protect” everyone in the company “at all costs,” and that any abuse would not be tolerated.

“Bullying and harassment have no place online, in our industry and in our wider communities,” the statement said. “Our rehearsal room is full of joy, compassion and kindness. We celebrate the extraordinary talent of our incredible collaborators. The Romeo & Juliet community will continue to rehearse with generosity and love, and focus on the creation of our production.”

The “Romeo & Juliet” play will debut at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre in May.

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