TV producer clarifies comments about Jenna Ortega being “entitled” and “toxic”

The TV producer who labelled Jenna Ortega “entitled” and “toxic” for “publicly shitting” on the writers of Wednesday has clarified his comments.

Ortega previously said that she became “almost unprofessional” at times by “changing lines” on the set of the Netflix hit show because she felt “very, very protective” of her character.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had to put my foot down on a set in the way that I had to on Wednesday because it’s so easy to fall into that category, especially with this type of show,” Ortega said of her initial pushback on the script.

“Everything that she does, everything that I had to play, did not make sense for her character at all. Her being in a love triangle made no sense. There was a line about, like, this dress that she has to wear for a school dance and she said, ‘Oh, my God, I love it. Ugh, I can’t believe I said that. I literally hate myself.’ And I had to go, ‘No, there’s no way.’”

Steven DeKnight, who worked on the Netflix series Daredevil and Jupiter’s Legacy and directed Pacific Rim: Uprising, criticised Ortega’s interventions earlier this week and suggested that she could have addressed the issues she had in a more professional manner.

“She’s young, so maybe she doesn’t know any better (but she should),” DeKnight wrote on Twitter. “She should also ask herself how she would feel if the showrunners gave an interview and talked about how difficult she was and refused to perform the material.”

He added: “This kind of statement is beyond entitled and toxic. I love her work, but life’s too short to deal with people like this in the business.”

She’s young, so maybe she doesn’t know any better (but she should). She should also ask herself how she would feel if the showrunners gave an interview and talked about how difficult she was and refused to perform the material.

— Steven DeKnight (@stevendeknight) March 7, 2023

However, after facing backlash for his comments, DeKnight took the opportunity to elaborate on what he meant in a further tweet.

“My comments were about breaking the trust that we all have on set and during the production process that our creative differences will stay in the family,” DeKnight wrote in response to a tweet criticising him for “shitting” on Ortega.

“It was never about her creative concerns, which were valid. Or about her performance, which was fantastic. I sincerely hope that clears it up.”

He continued: “Again, I can’t stress this enough: She’s an amazing talent. It was just an unfortunate situation to expose creative differences publicly, and also I’ll admit that writers are on edge because of the impending strike, myself included. A perfect storm.”

My comments were about breaking the trust that we all have on set and during the production process that our creative differences will stay in the family. it was never about her creative concerns, which were valid. https://t.co/bl98cnjJCr

— Steven DeKnight (@stevendeknight) March 15, 2023

Absolutely! Again, I can’t stress this enough: She’s an amazing talent. It was just an unfortunate situation to expose creative differences publicly, and also I’ll admit that writers are on edge because of the impending strike, myself included. A perfect storm. https://t.co/hQw6qBseIn

— Steven DeKnight (@stevendeknight) March 15, 2023

Members of the Writers’ Guild of America are possibly set to strike [via Variety] as new terms are negotiated on their contracts with Alliance of the Motion Picture and Television Producers.

In a further tweet, DeKnight said: “Back to work. Try, as always, to be kind to each other even when we vehemently disagree. And yes, there are times that I need to heed my own advice. We are all emotional works-in-progress. Love to all of you.”

Back to work. Try, as always, to be kind to each other even when we vehemently disagree. And yes, there are times that I need to heed my own advice. We are all emotional works-in-progress. Love to all of you.

— Steven DeKnight (@stevendeknight) March 15, 2023

Last week Ortega said that she had turned down the part of Wednesday “a couple” of times because she’s “done so much TV in my life” and “all I’ve ever wanted to do is film”.