‘I’m so sorry this even has to be said’: ‘Wicked’ star speaks out after hate for her character leads to gross comments about her disability

Wicked was released to much acclaim late last month, and while fans and critics have been singing its praises, actress Marissa Bode has called out some people’s “very gross” reaction. 

Bode — who portrays the wheelchair-user character of Nessarose in the film and is disabled in real life — took to TikTok to address the online reaction to Wicked, which has included some “harmful comments” leveled against her character. In the five-minute video, Bode distinguished between fans making “​​goofy, harmless” jokes about Nessarose’s characterization, and those making “deeply uncomfortable” comments about the character’s disability.

“It is absolutely OK to not like a fictional character,” Bode, who is the first disabled actress to ever portray Nessarose, said, “but disability is not fiction.” She particularly called out jokes made by non-disabled people where the punchline is about her character’s inability to walk, condemning phrases like “you stand up for yourself” or “I guess you can’t stand him.” Bode described this kind of commentary as “low-hanging fruit that too many of you are comfortable taking,” especially since, “at the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair.” 

In the caption of her video, Bode encouraged people to “dissect and unlearn” their ableism, admitting that while “no one likes feeling like they’re being scolded,” the idea of Wicked should propel them to think differently. “One of the major themes within Wicked is having the ability to listen and to understand one another,” she said. “I truly hope that is something a lot of you can practice more.” The actress’ comments hit particularly hard given the prominence of her character in Wicked, with Nessarose being the sister of protagonist Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo) and playing a crucial role in the upcoming second part of the adaptation.

Bode’s video received an outpouring of support from fans, who flooded the comments section to likewise criticize the fan response to Nessarose. “It really irks me how rudely people have reacted to your character,” one TikTok user wrote, with another agreeing that they “do not understand the ableism.” Others said it’s “a shame no one affords [Nessarose] the nuance she deserves,” or more broadly condemned the chatter that has surrounded Bode’s character. “It’s crazy this has to be a conversation,” one user wrote, while another apologized that “there are such cruel people on this planet.” 

It’s not the only story that has risked engulfing Wicked’s critical and box office success. Last month, Universal — the production company behind the movie — faced backlash after Mattel mistakenly printed a pornographic link on its Glinda and Elphaba dolls, resulting in a class action lawsuit filed by a mother this week. Elsewhere, Erivo herself came under fire after she condemned fans who had altered the Wicked movie poster to cover her eyes. 

Then, there were the reports of unequal pay between the film’s lead stars, and the whole fiasco that spawned cheating headlines for Ariana Grande (who plays Glinda) and her co-star Ethan Slater (who plays Boq). It’s at this point that we need Glinda and Elphaba to come to life and deliver us a show-stopping anthem that puts all the negativity to rest. Best believe I’ll be “holding space” for that moment, whenever it arrives.