Indian-American actress Avantika Vandanapu, known for her role in Mean Girls, has become the target of racist backlash following online rumors suggesting she’s been cast as Rapunzel in a live-action adaptation of Disney’s Tangled.
Several social media users expressed disappointment over an actress of South Asian heritage portraying the beloved princess. One video showed a white woman tearfully reacting with the caption, “Me pretending the little girl in me isn’t so upset by the live-action Rapunzel casting.” Another user threatened to boycott Disney if Vandanapu, who isn’t of German descent, were to be cast as Rapunzel.
The backlash extended to Vandanapu’s Instagram, where negative comments flooded her posts, with some stating she “definitely don’t fit the role for Rapunzel.”
This reaction mirrors the backlash faced by Halle Bailey when she was cast as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, prompting the hashtag #NotMyAriel. While Bailey addressed the racist criticism, highlighting the importance of representation, Vandanapu has not responded to the trolling yet.
However, South Asian fans have come to her defence, asserting that there’s been no official confirmation of her casting and that a live-action Tangled adaptation is not currently in production. They’ve urged others to stop sending hate to Vandanapu, with some asserting her suitability for the role if it were to happen.
Amidst the negativity, supportive fans have rallied behind Vandanapu, expressing their excitement with comments like “My Rapunzel” under her social media posts.
