Amandla Stenberg Wasn’t Shocked By ‘The Acolyte’ Cancellation: “There Has Been A Rampage Of Vitriol That We Have Faced”

While The Acolyte‘s cancellation after a single installment on Disney+ may have come as a surprise to some fans, it was “not a huge shock” for series star Amandla Stenberg.

Stenberg, who plays plays twins Mae and Osha in the latest Star Wars spin-off anduses she/they pronouns, took to her Instagram story on Wednesday (Aug. 28) to speak out on the news, noting that “there are many folks out there that I want to acknowledge and I want to show appreciation and love and support for” in the wake of the show being canceled, per Deadline.

“And I’m gonna be transparent and say that it’s not a huge shock for me,” she shared. “Of course I live in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren’t aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced, when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it.”

Citing “hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudiced hatred and hateful language” spewed toward the cast, Stenberg conceded that “this really affected [her] when [she] first got the job.”

“Even though I anticipated it happening, it’s not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it’s happening to you,” she elaborated, clarifying that she feels she’s “kinda moved through those feelings in various ways, including being vocal about it” herself.

“For me, it just became a situation where there was no option but for me to honor my sense of ethics and my belief system and my value system while being in this very unique position,” she continued.

Eventually, Stenberg claimed that “it just became inarguable for me, at a certain point, that in order to continue to be myself, I would have to honor my value system by being vocal even within the context of working for Disney and working within the large, massive IP that is Star Wars.” Nonetheless, she still praised the opportunity as “an incredible honor and dream” to be in the Star Wars universe.

“Of course I’m very sad about the show being canceled, and I’m sad about us not being able to give people who are invested into it more,” she clarified, “I still just feel a lot of levity and joy around the fact that I got to experience it and that people loved it and that people were so responsive.”

Stenberg proceeded to assure fans that they are “deeply loved and appreciated,” and that their support “made this job all the worthwhile” for her. She also thanked Lucasfilm for “being a fucking awesome team” to work with, as well as writer Leslye Headland, who she gushed is “one of the best people in the world” and is “so incredibly talented and unique and kind.”

This is not the first time that Stenberg has stood up to trolls online. On Juneteenth (June 19), Stenberg released “Discourse,” a song to combat “anti-woke hate” she’s received, including her 2018 interview with Trevor Noah being taken out of context.

The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+.