Jenna Ortega Linked to Multiple Firings, ‘Wednesday’ and More Lose Leads

It seems that Jenna Ortega is at the center of multiple controversies currently swirling around the internet.

Jenna Ortega has risen to prominence through a series of breakout roles that have become iconic in the entertainment industry. Her desire to perform, present since the age of three, materialized into reality by the time she was nine. Notably, her breakthrough occurred with the titular role in the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle, an opportunity that would shape her public image as she navigated the complexities of growing up in the spotlight.

Distinguished for her diverse talents, Jenna has ventured prominently into the horror genre. In the contemporary Scream series, she embodies the character Tara Carpenter, adding to her impressive filmography that includes titles like X, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and Insidious 2.

Jenna’s inclination towards darker genres was explained during an interview, where she expressed a fascination for elements that possess an unsettling quality and defy traditional notions of beauty. Portraying characters perpetually in victim roles, she sees it as an intriguing challenge to craft unique personalities for each.

However, Jenna’s standout role in the horror genre is undoubtedly her portrayal of Wednesday Addams in the hit Netflix series, Wednesday. The show has propelled her to new heights of recognition, with her performance garnering widespread acclaim and the series itself amassing over 250 million views worldwide while bringing the world into the universe of Nevermore Academy.

Jenna Ortega’s remarkable journey in the entertainment industry reached a pinnacle with her role in Wednesday, solidifying her status as a rising star. Recently wrapping up filming for Beetlejuice 2 with Tim Burton (who alternatively directed Wednesday), where she played the daughter of Lydia Deetz, Jenna continues to make waves in the industry.

Despite her success, Jenna has candidly spoken about the challenges she faced as a Latina actress, particularly in securing leading roles. Roles for a child actor often involve playing a kid to a parent or a “younger self,” and with limited leading characters being Hispanic, Jenna faced hurdles in her early career.

She even contemplated altering her appearance, considering coloring her hair blonde like Cinderella to increase her chances of booking roles. Fortunately, she chose to embrace her authenticity and has excelled in roles that showcase her versatility, with her recent embodiment of the scream queen exemplifying her commitment to compelling performances in the face of industry challenges.

As we noted earlier, Jenna has been surrounded by a plethora of controversies that have flooded her success with murky waters.

Wednesday is heading into its second season, which will be filmed in Ireland, but not without its challenges. At the moment, it is rumored that Netflix is fighting for the rights to The Addams Family in order to keep season one on the platform and film a new season. While this is unconfirmed, it certainly would make it difficult to proceed and might explain why a show that Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s CEO, said would be a priority after the strike, is still not returning to production for months.

Wednesday experienced another setback as Thora Birch, renowned for her role in Hocus Pocus, departed from the show due to a family illness. Despite not completing all her scenes, Birch had concluded a significant portion of her role. In the forthcoming second season, she was slated to play Wednesday’s dorm mother, Tamara Novak. It was later revealed that Birch left due to creative discrepancies. 

Additionally, Percy Hynes White, who portrayed Xavier Thorpe in the first season, is no longer part of the series. His unexpected exit surprised many, particularly given the first season’s hints at a potential enduring romantic connection between Wednesday and Xavier, suggesting a storyline with gradual development in subsequent seasons. The actor was fired after allegations surfaced that White was over-serving women at a party. The allegations were never confirmed, however, Netflix moved forward with letting him go anyway.

With Wednesday in turmoil, Jenna Ortega likely looked to her other hit productions.

The Scream franchise is a highly successful and iconic horror film series that has left a lasting impact on the genre. Created by filmmaker Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, the first Scream film was released in 1996. The movie revitalized the slasher genre by incorporating self-awareness, satire, and meta-humor, acknowledging and subverting traditional horror tropes.

Key elements of the Scream franchise include a mysterious masked killer known as Ghostface, who taunts and terrorizes the characters. The franchise is known for its intricate plots, suspenseful sequences, and the incorporation of humor into its horror elements. The characters are often aware of horror movie conventions, leading to self-referential and witty dialogue.

The original Scream movie follows Sidney Prescott, portrayed by Neve Campbell, and her friends as they become the targets of a serial killer in the fictional town of Woodsboro. The film was both a critical and commercial success, leading to several sequels.

Ortega joined the franchise as Tara Carpenter, sister to Samantha Carpenter played by Melissa Barrera. She appeared in Scream (2022 film) and Scream VI (2023 film) respectively.

Now, the Scream franchise is in more danger than a teenage girl picking up a phone call from Ghostface. 

First, it was confirmed, “Spyglass Media confirmed its firing of star Melissa Barrera — who appeared as Samantha Carpenter in 2022’s Scream and Scream VI — after she advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza. Barrera has spent the past month and a half showcasing her support for the Palestinian cause and sharing information about the situation in Gaza, including re-sharing Instagram posts and articles describing Israeli forces’ attacks as “genocide and ethnic cleansing” and referring to Israel as a “colonized land.”

Melissa was the lead character of the film, so choosing to let her go was a big decision. But, perhaps it was easier than many may think.

It was then announced that Ortega would also leave the franchise. While many first assumed Ortega was standing with Barrera, it was then revealed that Ortega left Scream months ago due to scheduling conflicts. Knowing this, it makes a lot more sense as to why Melissa was let go so easily, as her sister character was already out the door, making it easier for Spyglass to make the decision to rewrite the story.

Overall, this is the third co-star associated with Ortega to lose their job with their respective production this month. While it may seem that Jenna carries some bad luck, the overall truth just settles down to coincidence.

Ortega has already jumped to another horror film, Death of a Unicorn, alongside Paul Rudd, who will play her father, so it appears while others may be losing their acting jobs, for Jenna, the saying when one door closes, another closes proves to be true.

Are you a fan of Jenna Ortega? Let us know what you think about her surrounding controversies.