Wednesday is officially back – with some changes in the star-studded cast (Picture: Netflix)
Wednesday fans have spotted that Percy Hynes-White is missing from the official cast photo, amid claims he was ‘written out’ of the series.
Earlier today, Netflix released the first look at the cast ahead of season two, announcing that Billie Piper and Steve Buscemi have joined the fold while Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones are reprising their roles once again.
As well as this, Joanna Lumley, Thandiwe Newton, Haley Joel Osment and Christopher Lloyd – who previously played Uncle Fester in two Addams Family films – will be making guest appearances throughout the series.
However, Hynes-White, who played Xavier Thorpe in the first season, was noticeably absent from the pictures, and has not been mentioned in any of the promotional material.
Last year, a series of tweets accused the 22-year-old of sexual misconduct – something he fiercely denied at the time.
There were calls for him to be removed from the hit show altogether but Netflix bosses had not spoken publicly about his future amid the allegations.
After the cast announcement was shared across the official Wednesday and Netflix Instagram accounts, seemingly confirming Hynes-White’s departure, many flooded the comments section with questions over his absence, and what will happen to his character.
It is not clear whether Xavier’s disappearance will be addressed in the upcoming episodes, or ignored completely.
The actor previously addressed the accusations in a post on his Instagram story, which is still currently visible as a highlight on his profile.
‘Hey everyone. There’s something I need to clarify,’ he began the statement. ‘Earlier this year, somebody I’ve never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online.
Percy Hynes White played Xavier Thorpe in the series (Picture: Netflix)
‘Because of this, my family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats. Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful.
‘My friend Jane was falsely portrayed as a victim, and her attempts to set the record straight have been ignored. She gave me permission to include her in this message.’
‘The rumors are false. I can’t accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted or criminally negligent of people’s safety,’ he continued. ‘These are the kind of baseless, harmful claims that can create mistrust toward victims.
He shared a lengthy message on Instagram regarding the allegations (Picture: Instagram)
‘It’s very distressing to know that this misinformation has upset people. I’m really thankful for everyone who’s stood by me and helped share the facts. Harassment of my family, friends and coworkers needs to stop please. Thank you for taking the time to read this.’
Hynes-White has not spoken publicly about his character’s axing, but still has pictures promoting the first series on his Instagram page.
Wednesday originally premiered on Netflix in November, 2022 – with Ortega in the titular role – and became an instant hit.
An air date for the second season is yet to be announced.
Jenna will be back at Nevermore for a second season of Wednesday (Picture: Netflix)
Touching on what to expect from the episodes, series creators and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar said via Variety: ‘We are thrilled that the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season along with a dream cast of icons and new faces.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Netflix and Hynes-White for a comment.
Wednesday is available to stream on Netflix now.
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