Add Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega to the list of celebrities rebelling against the “political correctness” trend. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Ortega discussed her involvement in the long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the upcoming second season of Wednesday, and her surprisingly candid thoughts on political correctness. Her comments come after she personally saw the backlash directed at one of her former co-stars after she voiced controversial opinions.

Ortega criticized the push for “political correctness,” and says it forces individuals to take stances that “lacks honesty.” Her comments come after her Scream 7 co-star Melissa Barrera was fired for making comments on social media about Israel that Scream production company Spyglass Media Group called “antisemitism” and “hate speech.” After Barrera’s firing, Ortega herself quit the film the next day, claiming a scheduling conflict, although the message was clear. Although she did not address Barrera’s firing directly, she criticized the rush to judgment.

Imagine if everyone could say what they felt and not be judged for it.

Wednesday Follows Wednesday Addams’ years as a student, when she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart and solve the mystery that embroiled her parents. Directed by Tim Burton.Release Date November 23, 2022

Wednesday’s dark humor is tinged with violent cynicism, a trademark of creator Tim Burton. As the series lead, it’s no surprise Ortega spoke out against the trend within the Hollywood community for political correctness. When political correctness mixes with cancel culture, however, actors like Barrera pay the price. Ortega told Vanity Fair:

“The business that we work in is so touchy-feely. Everybody wants to be politically correct, but
I feel like, in doing that, we lose a lot of our humanity and integrity, because it lacks honesty.
I wish that we had a better sense of conversation. Imagine if everyone could say what they felt and not be judged for it and, if anything, it sparked some sort of debate, not an argument.”

Barrera was fired in November 2023 after accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing” in Gaza in a series of social media posts, including sharing content that said Israel was using “the Holocaust to boost the Israeli arms industry.” Israel has launched raids into Gaza targeting Hamas terrorists and seeking hostages after the October 7 terror attacks within Israel, which killed thousands and took hundreds of hostages. For clarification purposes, the Council of Foreign Relations points out that the terror group Hamas has direct control over the governance of Gaza.

Ortega has voiced her support for Palestine, but has used measured statements. Barrera’s repeated posts and accusations of genocide led to Spyglass firing her, and noting in a statement “We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.”

Celebrities Push Back Against Political Correctness

Ortega isn’t the only celebrity pushing back against political correctness. In April, Jerry Seinfeld generated a flood of criticism when he said that television comedy is suffering because of the influence of the “extreme left and P.C. crap.” It was a surprising admission for the die-hard liberal, and he isn’t the only one. Steve Harvey has stated that “political correctness is killing comedy,” a sentiment shared by other comedians.

The firing of Barrera also highlights that the politically-correct backlash against controversial comments spans the political divide. Her comments evoking the Holocaust are not unlike a post shared by former Mandalorian actress Gina Carano, who was fired by Disney for also mentioning the Holocaust in a tweet about politics. Carano is now suing, saying she was fired, while her male co-star Pedro Pascal was not disciplined for an Instagram post using a Nazi flag in reference to current politics. A Newsweek editorial also called out Pascal for a tweet including a Nazi analogy to current politics.

Ortega made it clear she resents the tightrope celebrities must walk when voicing their personal opinions. Even with her meteoric rise to fame in recent years, she told Vanity Fair she thinks the current celebrity culture is “absolutely ridiculous.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
opens in theaters on September 6, 2024.