CW and Warner Bros. TV are accused of failing to safeguard the actress from “abuse and harassment.”
Iris West, played by Candice Patton on The Flash, was the first comic book character to be cast as a person of color in an animated series, and her trailblazing casting helped advance diversity in comic book adaptations tremendously. The performer made history onscreen, but the response from poisonous and racist “fans” that she faced offscreen caused her to want to quit the show after just two seasons.
Patton recently spoke out about the “hate and harassment” she’s experienced as a result of her role as Iris in a new interview with The Open Up Podcast. The on-set component was the most difficult part of the project. Season 2 was the earliest she intended to leave the program. She explains in an interview about it that she decided not to continue the show, she will not be able to make through it and fail as she was miserable the whole time.
Due to the pressures of creating “spaces for women of color” in the superhero genre, Patton’s mental health took a hit. This is a risky situation when you’re one of the first and you’re dealing with criticism for it, and there’s no one else to turn to. she said that People now have a better idea of what’s going on. They are aware of the racism and misogyny that may exist among fans, particularly in the context of genre adaptations. It was more of an attitude of, Well, fans are like that, so what do you expect? at the time.
Patton argues that The CW and Warner Bros. TV, the networks and studios behind The Flash, did not adequately safeguard her from the outrage over her casting as the show’s protagonist. With The CW and WB, that was their method of dealing with it, she continues. To treat your employees in that manner and allow them to endure harassment and abuse is no longer acceptable. However, in 2014, there were no procedures in place to assist people like herself. That was completely unnoticed. Every day, it was given the opportunity to be mistreated at will. Because there were no social media safeguards in place to keep her safe, her social media accounts were left unprotected.
She adds, And so on and so forth. To just have her as the main female and say, ‘Look at us, we’re so progressive, we checked the box,’ . According to her  this is a wonderful opportunity, as everyone now placed her in the water by myself with sharks. The ocean is a wonderful place to be, but she is  at risk of being devoured to death. she explains that ,She needs protection,’ it can only be spoken by those in positions of authority who understand my situation, as well as the situation of people of color and women of color. When you recruit a member of a marginalized group, you must be ready to defend their rights. they  are not shielded from danger in the actual world. In other words, just because they puts black people on a Hollywood set, complete with hairspray and cosmetics, and everyone believes they are safe, they are not.
Additionally, Patton claims that she saw her white co-stars being treated differently than she was during filming, which only exacerbated her frustrations. According to her, it was more about the regulations in place and the things that she sees occurring to her white counterparts but isn’t happening to her herself. Because she was not protected by the network or the studio, witnessing how she was treated differently than other people annoyed her more than it wounded her.
In the end, Patton elected to remain on The Flash, which is now in its ninth season, because she felt a duty to the fans she represented and to depict the historic, inclusive character. Patton has claimed she isn’t sure whether season 9 will be her final appearance on the show.
For more updates and latest information visit Gizmotable!