'13 Reasons Why' Star Grace Saif Deletes Social Media Following Backlash on New Character Ani
“PLEASE try to be kind and respect the work of the talented actor behind the character.”
Fans have had mixed reactions to the latest installment of Netflix‘s 13 Reasons Why. Many of the comments included debate on Ani Achola, played by Grace Saif, who quit social media after backlash on the new character.
Warning: This post contains spoilers.
In case you haven’t watched the new season yet, Ani is a new girl at Liberty High School who narrates the entire story of Bryce Walker’s death. Fans took to social media to share comments and questions on the new character, such as why she suddenly knows everything about each of the characters when she’s only a new student. With heated debate, some viewers headed to Grace Saif’s social media pages to leave negative and hateful messages, telling her she ruined the show.
Following the backlash, Saif deleted all images from Instagram and made her Twitter account private, while co-star Timothy Granaderos Jr., who plays Monty in the series, took to his own social media account to speak up on the issue. Along with a selfie taken on set, he added the caption:
“Whether or not you support, like, or love, a character in our fictional tv show — please remember that there is a talented and beautiful actor/actress bringing those scripted words to life. One of the underlining themes in our show is to take care of each other. I’ve seen some pretty nasty things being said online, concerning the introduction of a new character. Y’all are passionate & we love you for that, but PLEASE PLEASE try to be kind and respect the work of the talented actress/actor behind the character.”
Meanwhile, Anne Winters, who plays Chloe in the show, told PEOPLE Now that Ani was actually an important part of the entire story. “That’s vital to the story to see. And Ani is amazing. Grace, who plays Ani, is like the sweetest girl ever. I really loved her character this season.”
Scroll down below to take a look at the Instagram post. While you are here, check out five things you should know about Katherine Langford, who played Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons Why.
