After being subjected to ceaseless online bullying over her wheelchair use, Wicked actress Marissa Bode has issued a fiery response.
Taking to TikTok, the 24-year-old addressed the trolling, imploring fans of the film to take heed of the message of inclusion that producers and writers have attempted to convey.
For those unfamiliar with the premise of the silver screen adaptation, Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as besties Elphaba and Glinda, who go on to become the 'Wicked Witch of the West' and the 'Good Witch' in The Wizard of Oz series.
Advert
Bode, meanwhile, takes on the role of Nessarose, Elphaba's troubled younger sister who, herself, goes on to be the 'Wicked Witch of the East' - remember, the one who gets squashed by the house at the beginning of the 1939 hit?
Part of what tempts Nessarose from good to evil is the neglect she receives over the use of her wheelchair, as well as the fact her sister Elphaba bares sage green skin.
Sadly, however, it isn't just Bode's controversial character - who has been poorly received by viewers - that is subjected to torment, with the actress revealing she's received mass abuse over her own wheelchair use.
The actress has used a wheelchair since she her involvement in a car crash aged just 11.
Advert
Taking to TikTok on Friday (29 Nov), Bode issued a fiery response explaining that, while it's fine to hold reservation about her complex on-screen character, ableist remarks and jokes made about her real-life condition will not be tolerated.
"It is absolutely OK to not like a fictional character," she began. "I am going to be admitting my bias in the way that I have a lot of different feelings on Nessa than a lot of you do, and that’s totally fine.
"I think Nessa is complex, but that’s the beauty of art. Wicked and these characters and the movie wouldn’t be what it was if there weren’t different opinions on the characters and who’s truly wicked or not."
Advert
She went on to emphasise, however, that 'aggressive comments and jokes' about both her and her character's disability are 'deeply uncomfortable', because disability is not fictional'.
"At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair. And so it is simply a low-hanging fruit that too many of you are comfortable taking."
Bode went on to reveal she'd come across comments poking fun about the fact that she can't stand up, including the likes of 'stand up for yourself' and 'I guess you can't stand him'.
Advert
"This goes so far beyond me, Marissa, just needing to ignore comments on the internet," she hit out.
"These comments do not exist in a vacuum. Aggressive comments of wanting to cause harm and push Nessa out of her wheelchair, or that she deserves her disability, are two very gross and harmful comments that real disabled people, including myself, have heard before.
"These comments aren’t original, and when these jokes are being made by non-disabled strangers with a punchline of not being able to walk, it very much feels like laughing at rather than laughing with."
Advert
Admitting she'd attempted to restrict the amount of hurtful 'jokes' on her page by deleting them, the Wisconsin star added that Wicked viewers should be mindful of the message the movie is attempting to convey, regarding inclusion and diversity.
“I want to say one of the major themes within Wicked is having the ability to listen and understand one another," Bode continued. "And I truly hope that is something a lot of you can practice more and take with you."
Topics: Celebrity, TV And Film, US News, TikTok
Rhianna Benson