Letitia Wright responds to anti-vaxxer claims after sharing controversial COVID-19 vaccine video

Letitia Wright said she didn't mean to hurt anyone after sharing a video questioning the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Credit: David M. Benett/WireImage

Black Panther and Small Axe star Letitia Wright became the focus of anti-vaxxer claims after the actress shared a controversial video that, in part, questioned the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines that are in development.

The video, running over an hour in length, comes from the YouTube channel On the Table in which the presenter discussed his personal doubts about vaccines in general and what he claimed to be the supposed origins of the COVID-19 vaccines without providing much of a fact-focused argument. The presenter also expressed apparent doubts regarding climate change, accusations of China spreading COVID-19, and transphobic comments.

Wright posted the video on her Twitter platform with the prayer hands emoji, a tweet that garnered fervent responses from other social media users about spreading misinformation when it comes to vaccines. "if you don’t conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself….you get cancelled," Wright then tweeted with a laughing face emoji.

The initial tweet with the video has since been removed from her account, and the actress issued another response. "my intention was not to hurt anyone, my ONLY intention of posting the video was it raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies. Nothing else," she wrote.

Engaging with multiple user accounts online, Wright further stated she wasn't suggesting not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, just that she was "concerned about what's in it." She added, "I think it’s valid and fair to simply ask what’s in it."

Don Cheadle, one of Wright's Marvel movie costars, also chimed in on the matter. In a now-deleted tweet, Cheadle spoke up in defense of Wright, but later mentioned he hadn't watched the video and would "pull her coat if it's off." When he did watch the video, he posted a lengthier comment.

"jesus… just scrolled through. hot garbage," he wrote. "every time i stopped and listened, he and everything he said sounded crazy and fkkkd up. i would never defend anybody posting this. but i still won't throw her away over it. the rest i'll take off twitter. had no idea."

Marvel movie actors came out in droves on social media recently to defend colleague Chris Pratt after the Guardians of the Galaxy star began trending as the worst of the Hollywood Chrises. He was dubbed so partly due to his attending the Hillsong Church, the executives for which come with a history of making homophobic remarks. Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page had called out Pratt in 2019, to which Pratt argued the church community was there for him through his divorce from Anna Farris "despite what the Bible says," and that he has seen them offer similar love and support "regardless of sexual orientation, race, or gender." In Wright's case, co-workers have remained largely silent on the matter as of Friday.

Related content:

See John Boyega and Letitia Wright in new trailer for Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology
Black Panther's Letitia Wright honors Chadwick Boseman with moving video: 'An angel on Earth'
An original Black Panther novel centered on Shuri will publish next year

This story originally appeared on: EW - Author:Nick Romano