Black Panther actress, Letitia Wright, has come under intense criticism on social media over a video she shared making unsubstantiated claims about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
The 27-year-old movie star had posted a link whose host stated that people taking the vaccines would have to “hope it doesn’t make extra limbs grow”.
In the video, the presenter Tomi Arayomi explained he is a “big sceptic of needles and vaccinations in general” and hasn’t decided whether to take a COVID vaccine.
He added while discussing his doubts about their safety and effectiveness, “I don’t understand vaccines medically.”
However Wright was accused of spreading misinformation and defending it.
“It is not my intention to make anyone upset, nor am I saying don’t take it,” the Black Panther star wrote in response to the backlash. “I’m just concerned about what’s in it that’s all. Isn’t that fair to question?”
“If you don’t conform to popular opinions, but ask questions and think for yourself… you get cancelled,” she added.
Letitia Wright went on to delete both her Twitter and Instagram accounts after being called out for posting anti-vaccination video on her platforms.
The UK’s medicines regulator has approved the first vaccine, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, saying the process had been robust with safety considerations paramount. Regulators around the world are currently assessing the safety of that and other vaccines.
Wright, a Guyanese-British actress started acting professionally in 2011. She has played roles in Black Panther and several British TV series, including Top Boy, Coming Up, Chasing Shadows, Humans, the Doctor Who episode “Face the Raven” and the Black Mirror episode “Black Museum“