Jenna Ortega addresses the controversy involving the writers of Wednesday and reflects on its impact on the hit Netflix series.
In the fall of 2022, Jenna Ortega joined the ranks of actors who have delivered iconic performances as the dark and morose daughter of the Addams Family. Her dance scene became a meme phenomenon. However, Ortega sparked controversy by seemingly criticizing the writing team of the successful Netflix series, a controversy she is now addressing.
On Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast in 2023, Ortega mentioned that she “had to put her foot down” on the set of Wednesday and “started changing lines” she felt didn’t represent her character. She particularly opposed the love triangle between Wednesday, Tyler (Hunter Doohan), and Xavier (Percy Hynes White), as she believed it “didn’t make sense” for her character.
Recently, the actress revisited her comments in an interview with Vanity Fair, admitting that she “probably could have chosen her words better.” Ortega commented, “I often ramble a lot. I think it was hard because I felt that if I had represented the situation better, it probably would have been better received.” Her remarks made headlines amid the Writers Guild of America strike, drawing criticism from both fans and industry professionals.
Ortega also confessed to Vanity Fair that she became “tired” of herself at the height of Wednesday‘s success. “My face was everywhere… if I opened my phone and saw the same girl with some silly quote, I’d be sick of me too,” she expressed.
Season 2 of Wednesday
The first season of the hit Netflix series focuses on Wednesday’s first year as a student at Nevermore Academy, where she begins to master her emerging psychic abilities and helps to stop a series of murders in the local town. To the delight of fans, Netflix confirmed in January 2023 that Wednesday had been renewed for a second season. Production began in Dublin, Ireland in May 2024, with Ortega and other stars from the first season, such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, and Isaac Ordonez, returning. The new season will also introduce new actors, including Joanna Lumley, Steve Buscemi, Thandiwe Newton, Christopher Lloyd, and Billie Piper.
Ortega will serve as an executive producer in the second season, giving her more creative freedom on the set of Wednesday than ever before.
