Netflix’s Wednesday star Jenna Ortega upsets fans after being spotted smoking in public in a viral Twitter video.
Yesterday, Twitter was ablaze with a fresh controversy centering around Hollywood’s emerging star, Jenna Ortega. The 20-year-old actress, known for her portrayal of a teenage gothic high school girl in the smash-hit Netflix series ‘Wednesday’, was captured in a video that has since gone viral, doing something that left many of her fans and viewers surprised: smoking.
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The video shows Ortega, casually dressed in a black sweater and grey pants, engaged in what seems to be a relaxed conversation with a friend outdoors. Her hair is swept up in a messy bun, and a pair of shades rests atop her head, painting a picture of off-screen casualness that stands in stark contrast to the dramatic and brooding character she plays on screen.
However, the cigarette in her hand has proved to be the most shocking element of this tableau, sparking heated debates across the Twitterverse. Despite being legally old enough to smoke, her public persona of youthful innocence has made the sight of her partaking in the adult act quite jarring to some.
WTF JENNA SMOKES? NOOO pic.twitter.com/ywhjBonf4j
— ☀️ (@wstgoat7) May 24, 2023
As a young and talented actress, Ortega has been climbing the Hollywood ladder since her breakthrough role in Disney Channel’s ‘Stuck in the Middle’, where she shone as the street-smart and resourceful middle child, Harley Diaz. She further solidified her acting chops by playing Ellie Alves in the popular Netflix series ‘You’ before landing her current role in ‘Wednesday’.
Yet, as her star continues to rise, so does public scrutiny. Reactions to the video on Twitter have varied widely. Some refuse to believe the video is real, claiming it to be a deepfake. Others expressed disappointment, suggesting that the act makes her less attractive. And there were those who saw it as an expression of rebelliousness and attitude, with comments such as “she looks hot af”.
While it’s undeniable that celebrities, by virtue of their profession, live under a spotlight that magnifies their every action, it’s essential to remember that they, too, are individuals navigating their own lives. And sometimes, those lives are imperfect, complex, and messy – just like ours.
Ortega, like any other person her age, is experiencing the process of growing up – a process filled with exploration, experimentation, and self-discovery. What this incident truly reminds us of is the need for compassion and understanding, rather than judgment.
It’s easy to hold celebrities on pedestals, admiring their glitz and glamour. However, it’s crucial to remember that, behind the roles they play and the red carpets they walk, they are humans first. Their personal choices may not always align with the characters they portray, and that’s entirely their prerogative.
In a world increasingly filled with carefully curated public personas, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on our own expectations of celebrities. It might be time to retire the idea of ‘idolizing’ stars and start appreciating them for the complex, multifaceted individuals they truly are – talented artists doing their best in the same unpredictable, challenging world we all inhabit.