Jenna Ortega Gets Real About Being On 'The Wrong Side Of The Rumor Mill,' And How She Wishes She Could 'Speak To Everybody Like Wednesday'

Jenna Ortega became an instant sensation after Wednesday was streamed by those with a Netflix subscription back in 2022. With Wednesday's second season premiering in August, we’ll get to see our favorite Addams Family member face more supernatural threats while continuing to be her morbidly fascinating self. Now, the actress behind her is getting real about wishing she could “speak to everybody like Wednesday” after being on “the wrong side of the rumor mill.”

One of the best nods the Wednesday series gave to the classic character was making sure Wednesday Addams had an unapologetic morbid sense of humor. She’s also the type to tell it like it is, blatantly with no regrets. Jenna Ortega told Harper’s Bazaar that when the supernatural mystery series first went viral, she felt “incredibly misunderstood” as social media users shared their critical and occasionally hurtful and mean takes. She also had to learn about the "rumor mill" first-hand, saying:

It’s sad what the world has come to, where some fill their time being mean to accomplished people. It’s just like what Millie Bobby Brown previously said in her bullying post about how journalists writing about the Stranger Things star’s “mommy makeover” is “amplifying an insult.”

Back in March 2021, Jenna Ortega was caught up in backlash when she guest-starred on The Armchair Expert and made comments about Wednesday. It was on the podcast that the Scream actress said she put her “foot down” on set whenever she felt her character wasn’t well-represented. This involved the actress admitting to changing lines and not reading what was originally written in the script.

Once Jenna Ortega’s comments went viral, a Daredevil writer went on a lengthy tirade that called the actress “beyond entitled and toxic.” The Jane the Virgin actress later looked back on that tough moment, reflecting on how she could have chosen her words differently and saw the harsh reality of not being able to please everyone.

The Emmy nominee has seen how social media has negatively impacted her career when her sarcasm has gotten misinterpreted and her words twisted around. It’s moments like these that she wishes to speak like Wednesday, as she explained:

Wednesday Addams seems to always be able to get away with her honesty. That’s what makes her character so entertaining and intriguing. Probably because her peers accept her personality, even if what she says doesn’t come out clean-cut and sweet. But in the real world, there's an expectation to be careful about what we say to our audience to prevent offending anyone.

Coming from a family that’s “creepy” and “kooky” in the most unapologetic way, Wednesday Addams was taught not to be burdened by people being turned off by her dark ways. She's clearly one of those “what you see is what you get” type of girls with no intentions of changing. Jenna Ortega got real about her character’s shameless personality and the irony of playing someone so reserved getting so much attention now:

The emotionally reserved character probably would hate all of this attention. She’d likely burn every piece of merchandise she could find that has her face on it. But that’s the price of popularity when the world sees you as a pop culture icon.

Jenna Ortega’s wish to “speak to everybody like Wednesday” is very relatable in not wanting to hide your opinions or personality even when you’re on “the wrong side of the rumor mill.” On the other hand, it is possible to stay true to yourself and still choose your words with care.

You can see Wednesday Addams return in Season 2 of Wednesday when the 2025 Netflix release drops on August 6.