Netflix criticised after Jenna Ortega revealed she filmed Wednesday's dance with coronavirus

6 December 2022, 13:12 | Updated: 19 April 2024, 09:51

Jenna Ortega and Wednesday cast react to her dance scene

By Sam Prance

"It’s crazy because it was my first day with COVID so it was awful to film and I asked to redo it but we didn't have time."

Loading audio...

Netflix are facing backlash after Jenna Ortega revealed that she had COVID-19 while filming Wednesday's viral dance scene.

Ever since Wednesday debuted on Netflix last month (Nov 23), fans haven't been able to get enough of Wednesday's iconic dance scene in episode 4. Jenna Ortega's dance is so good that it's inspired a TikTok challenge and celebrities like North West and Kim Kardashian are doing it. It's also sending Lady Gaga's 2011 song 'Bloody Mary' up the charts.

However, in spite of all the praise, Netflix are coming under fire after Jenna said that she filmed the scene with coronavirus.

Jenna Ortega reveals she had COVID-19 while filming Wednesday dance scene. Picture: Netflix

Speaking to NME about the scene, Jenna said: "It’s crazy because it was my first day with COVID so it was awful to film and I asked to redo it but we didn't have time. I woke up and I had the body aches. I felt like I’d been hit by a car and that a little goblin had been let loose in my throat and was scratching the walls of my oesophagus."

Jenna then explained: "They were giving me medicine between takes because we were waiting on the positive result."

Following Jenna's quotes, people have taken to social media to question why Jenna was made to film the scene when she had coronavirus symptoms.

One person tweeted: "This is a bad thing right? We all agree that this is not some "persevering through hardship" moment, its a why the fuck didn't she get sent home, she could get horrendously sick or infect others kinda moment."

Another person wrote: "Disappointed to learn that Jenna Ortega had COVID symptoms on set but was still allowed to film the Wednesday dance scene while she waited for her positive test result. I wonder how many people got sick? And how many people those people got sick?"

like the details are that she was waiting for a test while filming and it did come back positive but SHE SHOULD HAVE STILL ISOLATED WHILE WAITING FOR A TEST, Tim Burtons fucking artistic vision aint worth dead people
— Lily Simpson is Emotionally Dead like Twltter (@LilySimpson1312) December 3, 2022

Disappointed to learn that Jenna Ortega had COVID symptoms on set but was still allowed to film the Wednesday dance scene while she waited for her positive test result. I wonder how many people got sick? And how many people those people got sick?
— Lola Méndez (@lolaannamendez) November 29, 2022

Everything wrong with America's reaction to Covid is encapsulated in people applauding Jenna Ortega for doing her Wednesday dance scene while she had Covid.

... she should have been masked and home.
— Hillary Monahan (@HillaryMonahan) December 5, 2022

they made jenna shoot wednesday while she had covid? what the hell 😭
— ❧ (@korydaya) November 29, 2022

she shouldve been isolated - not made to keep working while feeling ill. forcing jenna ortega to keep working and spreading covid around the set is so negligent of the producers and studio https://t.co/7RnqWgFpWS
— ᴊᴇʟᴀ (@jelevision) December 4, 2022

i feel so bad for jenna ortega i feel like she’s being so overworked especially with wednesday she said she was filming the dancing when she had covid and every time they cut she would take medicine like they couldn’t let her rest😭???
— ket 🎀 (@sourkettle) November 30, 2022

In response to the backlash, the production company behind Wednesday have shared a statement with NME. MGM state: "Strict COVID protocols were followed and once the positive test was confirmed production removed Jenna from set."