A lot of the entertainment industry has bounced back from COVID delays and disruptions, but the virus is still out there. While we hear stories about various TV shows dealing with cases and illnesses, it seems like there is no real protocol for how certain production companies choose to approach COVID. It’s also not uncommon right now: much of The White Lotus cast also managed to get sick while filming in Italy for season two. Netflix’s latest hit Wednesday is now coming under fire for how the production handled an alleged COVID case, and people have a lot of thoughts.
A video of Jenna Ortega‘s titular character dancing recently went viral, showcasing her own self-taught moves on the dance floor. Of course, Ortega expertly executed her own dance routine, but it was recently revealed that she was feeling sick the day of filming, and eventually tested positive for COVID.
Ortega recently spoke to NME when she admitted she woke up on the day of her big shoot feeling sick. “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 esophagus,” she continued. She revealed that they continued to film while waiting for the results, which turned out to be positive. She added, “They were giving me medicine between takes because we were waiting on the positive result.” After it was confirmed that Ortega was sick, she was removed from the set.
While this kind of problem seems to be happening more and more, a lot of fans are criticizing how the situation was handled.
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 pic.twitter.com/dBlwOf2ulr
— Lily Simpson is putting the T(rans) in YouTube (@LilySimpson1312) December 3, 2022
Jenna Ortega having COVID on set and working unmasked around other unmasked performers is not a flex. She should not be praised for “working while sick.”
The above the line crew could’ve possibly disabled or killed someone for their irresponsibility.
— v ✨🦋 (@hereisviolet) December 6, 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
jenna ortega filming a whole scene while waiting for her covid test results AND with obvious symptoms isn’t “professional”, it’s just completely irresponsible
— 🇮🇱🪬 (@cancion_il) December 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/Mystical_Faerie/status/1599341718704656384
i love jenna ortega but why on earth does she sound like she's bragging about working while super sick and waiting on her covid test…which ended up being positive. why is exposing the entire cast and crew to a severe virus such a flex??
— j. (@sadlittlejuice) November 28, 2022
While many might be placing the blame on Ortega, others are pointing out that a Netflix production should have had safer protocols when it comes to COVID. MGM, the company that produced Wednesday, told The Hollywood Reporter that “strict protocols were followed,” after Ortega’s result, but in that time, it’s possible that she could’ve gotten her peers sick.
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
jenna ortega seems chill, and that dance in the new wednesday show is cool, but no one else finds it concerning that she admitted she had covid during that scene? like even if she was waiting for the test to come back, why not delay filming? she put the cast and crew at risk
— garbo (@garborela) November 28, 2022
I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here and say:
Yes, its a shitty thing that happened. I doubt Jenna Ortega’s proud of the fact that she had to work while Covid Positive.
She isn’t SAYING she’s proud of it, she’s talking about how wild that experience was because she HAD to shoot. https://t.co/Me1jcqfPNi— RikuVA just became a quarter-centenial (@RonkuSide) December 4, 2022
Ortega hasn’t commented on the backlash, but the show has been a major hit for the streamer, so maybe it will just be quietly ignored!
