Tom Holland’s Romeo and Juliet co-star sparks uproar: director condemns racial abuse

 Tom Holland’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ co-star calls out Director for her response to accusations of ‘Racial Abuse’ 

The Jamie Lloyd Company production stars Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet, alongside Tom Holland.

After Francesca Amewudah-Rivers was cast as Juliet, she allegedly faced a “barrage of deplorable racial abuse” from Tom Holland’s co-stars. The director of the next Romeo and Juliet play has spoken out against the abuse, saying it “must stop.”

After Jamie Lloyd’s theatre company unveiled the entire cast of their upcoming run at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre, they published a statement condemning the abuse. Tomiwa Edun plays Capulet, Mia Jerome plays Montague, Daniel Quinn-Toye plays Count Paris, and Ray Sesay plays Tybalt. The cast also features Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet, Freema Agyeman as the nurse, Michael Balogun as the friar, and a number of other actors.

There has been an outpouring of horrible racist hatred hurled at an employee of our firm following the announcement of our Romeo and Juliet cast.

At all costs, we will maintain our support and protection of all employees, the statement concluded. Nobody will put up with any kind of abuse, and it will be taken seriously. Harassment and bullying are unacceptable in our workplace and beyond.

Even though Lloyd didn’t name the actor who was the target of the “deplorable racial abuse,” Amewudah-Rivers was the target of internet trolls who condemned her casting as Juliet and others who praised her for landing the part.