Acolyte’s Amandla Stenberg: Cancellation Wasn’t a Shock Due to Fan Bigotry

Disney+’s decision to cancel the Star Wars spinoff The Acolyte after just one season may have caught some by surprise, but not its star.

Amandla Stenberg, who portrayed twin sisters Osha and Mae, broke her silence via an Instagram Story on Wednesday. She revealed that the cancellation was “not a huge shock for me” due to the intense backlash she received from fans online. Stenberg said, “There has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced… a rampage of, I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred and hateful language towards us.”

Despite the cancellation, Stenberg expressed her gratitude for being a part of the Star Wars universe. She acknowledged the support from fans, stating, “It has been an incredible honor and dream for me to be in this universe, and I want to let the fans who supported the show know that you were deeply loved and appreciated, and it made this job all the worthwhile for me.”

The Acolyte premiered in June on Disney+, with the eight-episode season concluding in July. Critics praised the series for its fresh take on the Star Wars universe. However, it faced rejection from a vocal segment of fans, some of whom labeled it as “woke” for casting a Black LGBTQ actor in the lead role. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics’ score for The Acolyte stands at 78%, but the user score is just 18%.

When Disney+ announced the cancellation earlier this month, Stenberg’s co-star Lee Jung-jae, who played Jedi Master Sol, expressed optimism. He said, “Maybe there could be changes in the future… I really hope we could get to see further stories in a second season.”