Acolyte Star Amandla Stenberg Addresses Cancellation

Amandla Stenberg, star of the recently canceled Star Wars series The Acolyte, expressed her feelings about the show's demise in an emotional Instagram post, stating it wasn't a surprise given the 'rampage of vitriol' and 'hyper-conservative bigotry' the cast faced from fans even before the series premiered. Despite strong critical reviews, the show suffered from low viewership and an 18% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, leading to its cancellation after one season. Stenberg noted that the negativity impacted her personally, stating that while she anticipated backlash, the reality was more challenging than expected. However, she also acknowledged the outpouring of support from fans, expressing gratitude for those who appreciated the show. Many fans have since rallied under the hashtag #SaveTheAcolyte, hoping for its renewal. Critics have pointed out that Disney has failed to adequately defend its cast against the harassment they received.