Wednesday returned to Nevermore on August 6, 2025, with the highly anticipated Season 2. Unfortunately, the season has been criticized by loyal fans for its poor writing choices, and Jenna Ortega has somehow found herself in the middle of the controversy.
A video of the actress from Wednesday Season 2’s press tour is going viral on social media. In the clip, Ortega seems rather agitated while someone asks her a question about the body swap episode.
Jenna is someone who truly loves her work and gives it everything she has. It honestly makes me so sad to see her like this she’s clearly fed up and disappointed by the attitude and actions of those arrogant people, and honestly, I don’t blame her.pic.twitter.com/hXUTxG1Ume
People have assumed that Season 2’s storylines, Ortega’s attitude towards the press tour, and her past criticism of the show’s writing, all have something to do with what she truly feels about the writers.
However, it is important to note that the 23-year-old has a whole lot on her plate. She may not have the spark she once had for the show, but it’s possible that the actress has reached her limit lately.
As one fan pointed out, Ortega finished wrapping Season 2 in December 2024. She then went on to film The Gallerist, which wrapped up in February, as well as Ghostwriter. She has constantly been involved in press tours and so much more.
My take on the whole “Jenna Ortega hates the writers” thing.
A lot of people seem to be missing the part where Jenna has been filming and doing press tours nonstop. Have the writers said some dumb stuff? Yes, but you are projecting your hatred of them onto Jenna. pic.twitter.com/sl5W2nrUxm
Ortega is constantly working, and her lack of energy and spark may be coming across in a way that doesn’t sit right with people. However, instead of jumping to conclusions, let’s take a deep breath and imagine ourselves in the young actress’s shoes.
What Started Jenna Ortega and Wednesday Writers’ Controversy?
It’s no secret that Ortega gave Wednesday her all. She was attached to the character in a way no one else could have been. She went above and beyond in her research to do justice to the young Addams, which is why we understand that she knows Wednesday better than most.
During her appearance on Armchair Expert, Ortega admitted that she would often change her character’s lines without consulting the writers when the script didn’t make sense from Wednesday’s perspective.
She said,
I don’t think I’ve ever had to put my foot down more on a set in a way that I had to on ‘Wednesday’. Everything that Wednesday does, everything I had to play, did not make sense for her character at all…There were times on that set where I even became almost unprofessional in a sense where I just started changing lines. The script supervisor thought I was going with something and then I had to sit down with the writers, and they’d be like, ‘Wait, what happened to the scene?’ And I’d have to go and explain why I couldn’t go do certain things.
Needless to say, the writers’ community was not happy with Ortega’s admission. As per Variety, they called her “toxic” and “arrogant” and even held up signs at the strike that read, “Without writers, Jenna Ortega will have nothing to punch up.”
How Did the Writers Respond to Jenna Ortega?
Wednesday writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar sat down for an interview with THR, where they addressed Ortega’s controversial remarks in detail. Gough pointed out how difficult it is for young stars to constantly be in the spotlight. He added that they are bound to “misstep” at times.
“Suddenly, you have these young stars in the spotlight. They’re going to misstep. They’re going to say things. I think you just have to give them grace and know that it happens. It’s never pleasant, but it just comes with the territory.“
As for the hate Ortega received for her honesty, Gough stated that the “Internet’s going to do what the Internet’s going to do“. There’s no point in giving such things “oxygen.”
Millar talked about working with Ortega, with whom they also collaborated on Beetlejuice. He called it an “incredibly collaborative and joyful experience,” before adding, “We couldn’t be prouder of her work and we’ve embraced her as a producer on the show this year.”
He also commented on the backlash, stating that a show of Wednesday‘s size will always have people talking. Millar concluded, “It’s not our reality or her reality.” Clearly, there’s no bad blood between Ortega and the writers.
What do you think about the baseless rumor? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Stream Wednesday on Netflix.
