Credit: NetflixOne of the biggest talking points ahead of the second season of Wednesday was the conspicuous absence of Xavier Thorpe, the moody artist and key romantic interest of Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams in Season 1.
Played by Percy Hynes White, Xavier’s character was pivotal to many of the emotional storylines in the debut season — making his sudden disappearance from Season 2 all the more noticeable.
Saying Goodbye to Xavier
Ahead of Season 2’s launch, it was confirmed that Percy Hynes White, along with Jamie McShane (Sheriff Donovan Galpin) and Naomi J Ogawa (Yoko Tanaka), would no longer be returning as series regulars. White himself shared a heartfelt message on Instagram shortly after, posting a group photo from Season 1 and wishing the cast good luck with the new episodes.
But what exactly happened to Xavier Thorpe in the Wednesday universe? The show didn’t leave fans hanging for long.
In the opening episode, Principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi) explains to Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones) that Xavier’s father, Vincent Thorpe, decided to pull his son out of Nevermore Academy and retract his family’s endowment following the fallout from a false murder accusation involving Xavier in the previous season.
When Wednesday asks about Xavier returning to school, Dort reveals that the troubled teen has been sent to Reichenbach Academy in Switzerland — a prestigious institution where Wednesday’s father Gomez (Luis Guzmán) proudly notes he once studied as an exchange student during his Outcasts days.
A Haunting Reminder
Although Xavier is physically absent, his presence still lingers in Season 2’s narrative. Enid Sinclair delivers a letter from Xavier to Wednesday, in which he shares a disturbing vision of a crow with a cloudy eye surrounded by raw red skin.
Along with the letter, Xavier leaves behind a painting depicting the ominous bird perched atop a shadowy gravestone, clutching a white flower in its beak — a symbolic and unsettling image that ties into Wednesday’s own prophetic visions.
By the end of Episode 1, it’s clear this grim omen foreshadows tragedy: Wednesday envisions herself as the cause of Enid’s death, with the crow resting on Enid’s gravestone, dropping the white flower. This chilling setup establishes Xavier’s lingering emotional and narrative impact, despite his absence.
Showrunner Alfred Gough confirmed to TVLine that this is indeed the last we will see of Xavier Thorpe on the show.
The Storm Behind the Scenes: False Allegations
The real-life reason behind Percy Hynes White’s departure is tied to a controversy that erupted in early 2023. In January, an anonymous social media post accused White of sexual assault at a party in Toronto, alleging he had intentionally gotten women intoxicated to sleep with them. The accusations, however, were never substantiated, and the post was later deleted.
Despite the lack of evidence, Netflix reportedly took the allegations seriously enough to remove White from the series. An insider speaking to the Daily Mail UK defended the actor, stating, “Percy is a wonderful young man; that’s the truth. He never took part in any of the false claims against him, which were on Twitter and never followed up or substantiated.”
White himself publicly denied all allegations, calling them “misinformation.” Since then, he has continued working, appearing in the 2024 film My Old Ass alongside Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza, and recently reuniting with Jenna Ortega in the indie drama Spring, Winter, Summer or Fall.
Other Departures and Storyline Wrap-Ups
Alongside White’s exit, Jamie McShane’s character Sheriff Donovan Galpin also departs early in Season 2. While many fans expected McShane to return and close out his story, Galpin’s arc concludes in Episode 2 with a grisly death discovered by Wednesday, providing a dark, final note to his storyline.
A Quick Recap of Wednesday
Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and marking Tim Burton’s first foray into live-action television directing, Wednesday follows the titular character as she adjusts to life at Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts with supernatural abilities.
Jenna Ortega stars as the sharp-tongued, sardonic Wednesday Addams, joined by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán as her iconic parents, Morticia and Gomez. The show also features a delightful callback with Christina Ricci, who famously portrayed Wednesday in the 1990s films, appearing in a new role.
The story kicks off with Wednesday’s expulsion from her previous school after an incident involving live piranhas, and her parents decide to send her to Nevermore, located in Jericho, Vermont. The series mixes gothic atmosphere, supernatural mystery, and dark comedy, making it a standout on Netflix’s lineup.
The decision to write Percy Hynes White out of Wednesday has left fans speculating about how the show’s romantic and emotional dynamics will evolve without Xavier. Although the allegations against White were never proven, the impact on the series was immediate and significant.
As Season 2 unfolds, viewers will see how Wednesday’s journey continues without one of her central relationships — and how the show balances its dark mysteries with evolving character arcs in the wake of these behind-the-scenes changes.