Camila Mendes Calls Apparently Fabricated Allegations Against Riverdale Costars 'Destructive'
Camila Mendes stands strong with her Riverdale "family."
The actress recently defended costars Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart, who both faced apparently fabricated sexual assault allegations from anonymous Twitter accounts. (Sprouse, 27, and Reinhart, 23, have both vehemently denied the allegations.)
In an interview with PEOPLE about her new film Palm Springs, Mendes, 25, explains her decision to speak out on social media.
"These are my friends, they've become my family over the years," she tells PEOPLE. "More than even being put in a situation where they're being accused of something that they never did, the fact that this person went out of their way to potentially destroy these people's careers, but also destroy the integrity of the #MeToo movement just to make a point about how easily people believe things, was so distasteful and destructive."
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Camila Mendes Instagram
Camila Mendes Instagram
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Production on Riverdale in Vancouver shut down in March after someone involved with the CW show underwent evaluation for COVID-19. While there is still no word as to when the show can begin work on season 5, Mendes remains hopeful fans won't have to wait too much longer.
"I think Vancouver is looking a lot better than other places, so I think they're opening up quicker," she tells PEOPLE. "Hopefully in the next few months, if everything's done properly. Fingers crossed."
"We've all been like, all right, whenever it happens, it happens, and we've all just been hanging out and enjoying the time off until then," Mendes adds.
Hulu/Neon
Palm Springs finds the actress stuck in an endless time-loop alongside Andy Samberg and How I Met Your Mother star Cristin Milioti, living through her wedding day over and over again. For Mendes, it was a delight watching Samberg and Milioti riff on the rom-com's set.
"I always wanted to laugh, but I also just love watching them at the same time," she says. "I think they're both incredible performers and they just bring such a genuine attitude to everything they do, and I love it."
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If Mendes found herself in a similar situation, she says there's one wedding she'd be happy to relive over again.
"My agent got married in August of last year and that was one of the best experiences of my life," she reveals. "It was a destination wedding and like this three-day experience. Everyone was having fun and partying in the same hotel. It felt like a big dorm room with all the wedding guests. I would totally relive that over and over."
The film, which Samberg also produced, made history earlier this year as the biggest sale in Sundance Film Festival history, going to Neon and Hulu in a deal reportedly worth $22 million, according to IndieWire.
Palm Springs also stars J.K. Simmons, Meredith Hagner, Peter Gallagher, Tyler Hoechlin and June Squibb, and will be available to stream on Hulu starting July 10.
