The Star Wars series The Acolyte was canceled at Disney+ after airing the first season in June 2024. The streamer reported low ratings and viewership as the reason for the cancellation.
Almost a week after the decision was taken, Amandla Sternberg, who portrayed Osha in the first few episodes, claimed that the news did not come as a shock to her. Moreover, the actress addressed the trolling that took place online following the release of season 1.
The actress took to her Instagram account, and Sternberg posted a 10-part explanation over the cancellation of the show. In her statement, she wrote, “I’m gonna be transparent and say it’s not a huge shock for me. For those who aren’t aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was announced.”
She further added, “It became inarguable for me at a certain point that in order to continue to be myself, I would have to honor my value system by being vocal, even within the context of working for Disney and working within the large, massive IP that is Star Wars.”
Sternberg, in addition to playing Osha, also starred as Mae, the twin. The sisters came to oppose each other after being separated in childhood and having different upbringings.
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The story of the series is set 100 years before the events of Star Wars. The synopsis of the show read, “A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”
Opening up about the online hate that the cast and crew of The Acolyte faced, Sternberg claimed, “We started experiencing a rampage of, I would say, hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudiced hatred, and hateful language towards us.”
It further read, “This really affected me when I first got the job because even though I anticipated it happening, it’s not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it happens to you.”
When the show’s creator, Leslye Headland, was asked in June if the plans for season 2 were already laid out, she claimed that no information was known at the time.
The first season of The Acolyte is available to stream on Disney+.
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