Riverdale Star Vanessa Morgan Says She Makes Less Money Than the Rest of the Main Cast
UPDATE: June 5, 2020 at 7:40 a.m. ET: — Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has responded to actor Vanessa Morgan’s comments about being the lowest-paid main cast member. Morgan also happens to be the only Black series regular on the CW show.
“We hear Vanessa. We love Vanessa. She’s right,” he wrote on Twitter. “We’re sorry and we make the same promise to you that we did to her. We will do better to honor her and the character she plays. As well as all of our actors and characters of color.
“Change is happening and will continue to happen. Riverdale will get bigger not smaller,” Aguirre-Sacasa continued. “Riverdale will be part of the movement, not outside it. All of the Riverdale writers made a donation to @BLMLA, but we know where the work must happen for us. In the writers’ room.”
Morgan did not comment directly on the post, though she did retweet it. She also thanked fans for their support.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Riverdale star Vanessa Morgan, who plays Toni Topaz on the hit CW show, is speaking out about pay discrepancies among the series regulars.
On Sunday, May 31, as protests continued around the country over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, she tweeted, “Tired of how black people are portrayed in Media, tired of us being portrayed as thugs, dangerous, or angry scary people. Tired of us also being used as sidekick non-dimensional characters to our white leads. Or only used in the ads for diversity but not actually in the show.”
She did not mention salary differences at first, but did so in a Twitter reply. “Lmao too bad I’m the only black series regular but also paid the least 😂👏🏽 girl i could go on for days 🐸,” she wrote. Morgan joined the show in season two and became a regular cast member in season three.
Morgan also defended her former Riverdale costar Ashleigh Murray, whose character, Josie McCoy, is now on Katy Keene, in response to a now deleted tweet. “You don’t know what the fuck [you’re] talking about and don’t talk about my friend like that. Another thing i hate BLACK women being called DIVAS for sticking up for themselves,” she wrote. “Maybe the show should write for her like the white characters. You picked the wrong day get off my page.”
The actor wanted fans to know that she has the full support of her other members of the cast. “My role on Riverdale has nothing to do with my fellow castmates/friends,” she tweeted. “They don’t write the show. So no need to attack them, they don’t call the shots & I know they have my back.”
Costar Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty, tweeted back, “We love you, V. And support you 10000%.”
Vanessa Morgan also let it be known that when red-carpet events do resume, she plans to wear Black designers. “From now on any red carpet or event I will be wearing and supporting Black designers,” she wrote. “Any aspiring Black designers hit me up. I got you. I see you.”
The CW has not yet commented on Morgan’s tweets.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
