Rick Riordan Releases Message of Support for Leah Jeffries, the New Annabeth Chase
After the casting announcement of Leah Jeffries, Rick Riordan issued a message for those doubting the choice for the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
In an expressive post titled, “Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase,” Riordan denounced the harassment that Jeffries has experienced online due to the fact that she is Black. Her character is portrayed as white in the books. Jeffries’ TikTok account was taken down after facing backlash from upset fans.
#LeahisOurAnnabeth is a beautiful hashtag 😭💙🧡🙏💪
— Becky Riordan (@camphalfblood) May 10, 2022
Riordan stated, “I have been clear, as the author, that I was looking for the best actors to inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters, and that physical appearance was secondary for me. We did that. We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best of the best. This trio is the best. Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase.”
Leah Jeffries is going to be an incredible Annabeth!!!
— Alexandra Daddario (@AADaddario) May 10, 2022
Riordan called out the prejudice of those doubting Jeffries’ abilities, stating, “You either are not aware, or have dismissed, Leah’s years of hard work honing her craft, her talent, her tenacity, her focus, her screen presence…Without having seen her play the part, you have pre-judged her (pre + judge = prejudice) and decided she must have been hired simply to fill a quota or tick a diversity box…You have decided that I couldn’t possibly mean what I have always said: That the true nature of the character lies in their personality.”
The trio for the upcoming streaming event series ‘PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS’ pic.twitter.com/sD7IEZQoX4
— Percy Jackson Disney+ News (@updatespercy) May 5, 2022
Jeffries will appear on the Disney+ TV series alongside Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson) and Aryan Aimhadr (Grover Underwood).
