Riverdale actress Vanessa Morgan is breaking her silence about the way her character is treated, and about the series' unfair pay inequality.
In response to the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and peaceful protests that are happening all over the country, Morgan, who plays Riverdale's fan-favorite bisexual character Toni Topaz, made a public statement about the unfair treatment Black people and Black characters get in the media...
...and also revealed how she is Riverdale's least-paid series regular.
"Tired of us being portrayed as thugs, dangerous, or angry scary people," she wrote. "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. It starts with the media. I’m not being quiet anymore."
While this entire situation is really frustrating, especially considering how Vanessa is the only Black series regular on Riverdale, her fans have been incredibly supportive AF, and the hashtag #HearVanessaMorgan was trending this week to help call for change.
In the aftermath of Vanessa's revelations about her pay and her character's treatment on the show, Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa issued a formal apology on his Instagram account.
"We hear Vanessa. We love Vanessa. She's right. 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. "
He continued:
"Riverdale will get bigger, not smaller. Riverdale will be part of the movement, not outside it. All of the Riverdale writers made a donation to @BLMLA (Black Lives Matter Los Angeles), but we know where the work must happen for us. In the writers' room."
