The cast of Amazon’s Rings of Power has publicly denounced what it called “relentless racism” that has allegedly been directed at its BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) actors since the series went live last week.
In a statement shared on Wednesday, the cast did not differentiate between genuinely racist online trolls and fans who earnestly criticized the showrunners for leaning too heavily into diversity, seemingly lumping both groups together as if they were of the same voice.
“We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it,” it began.
The statement then declared author J.R.R. Tolkien created a “multi-cultural” world and his Middle-earth has “never been all white.”
“Tolkien created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural,” the statement continued. “A world in which free peoples from different races and cultures join together in fellowship, to defeat the forces of evil. Rings of Power reflects that. Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth has never been all white. BIPOC belong in Middle-earth and they are here to stay.”
The statement concluded with a shout to fellow “fans of colour who are themselves being attacked simply for existing in this fandom.”
“Finally, all our love and fellowship go out to the fans supporting us, especially fans of colour who are themselves being attacked simply for existing in this fandom,” the statement read. “We see you, your bravery, and endless creativity. Your cosplays, fancams, fan art, and insights make this community a richer place and remind us of our purpose. You are valid, you are valid, and you belong. You are an integral part of the LOTR family – thanks for having our backs.”
The original cast from the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings series jumped into the fray as well on Wednesday as they collectively shared photos of themselves wearing T-shirts with the message “You Are Welcome Here” inked in Elvish above an array of multi-racial elf ears.
After releasing the series last week, Amazon also halted user reviews amid fan backlash to prevent what it called “review bombing” from fierce critics.
“Amazon’s new initiative to review its reviews, is designed to weed out ones that are posted in bad faith, deadening their impact,” Variety reported.
Paul Bois joined Breitbart News in the summer of 2021 after previously working as a writer for TruthRevolt and The Daily Wire. He has written thousands of news articles on a variety of topics, from current events to pop-cultural trends. Follow him on Twitter @Paulbois39