Vanessa Morgan calls out Riverdale for using her as a sidekick
Vanessa Morgan has expressed her frustration over how black women are portrayed in the media. The actress called out Riverdale for sidelining black characters and for using her character Toni as a sidekick.
The actress plays Toni Topaz on the teen-drama series, but revealed that she is constantly sidelined on the show, despite being a series regular. Her storylines often solely revolve around her relationship with Cheryl Blossom.
She tweeted that was not going to be quiet anymore. “Tired of how black people are portrayed in the media, tired of us being portrayed as thugs, or angry scary people.
“Tired of us being used as sidekick non-dimensional characters to our white leads. Or only used in the ads for diversity but not actually in the show.”
“It starts with the media. I’m not being quiet anymore,” she stressed.
Fans praised the actress for speaking out about Riverdale, “I’m so proud of you! This needs to be brought light on because I’m so tired of tv producers and writers sidelining their black actors every single time.”
“THANK YOU for speaking up about this, black characters should have the same amount of screentime as white characters. It makes me so frustrated that the writers can't see that, you deserve so much more,” said another.
I’m not being Quite anymore. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/JXgJic4mrR
— Vanessa Morgan (@VanessaMorgan) May 31, 2020
Vanessa may be a series regular on Riverdale, but fans stressed that she gets very little screen time compared to her co-stars. The actress even revealed that she is paid significantly less than other Riverdale stars. She tweeted one fan, “Lmao too bad I’m the only black series regular but also paid the least… girl i could go on for days.”
Vanessa Morgan has been starring in Riverdale since the second season, yet fans of the show know so little about her character's story.
