Wednesday Actor Percy Hynes is Facing Sexual Assault Allegations

By Ana Perez, 10th Grade

The Canadian actor Percy Hynes White, who portrays Xander in the hit Netflix show Wednesday finds himself facing sexual assault allegation; multiple women have accused White of assaulting them while they were too drunk or high to be able to consent.

One of the claims comes from a lengthy Twitter thread, which alleges that White assaulted a girl when she was around 13 to 14 years old; the thread also alleges that he also assaulted the original author when she was 16, and he was 20. Another accuser tweeted that “He let me get raped in his basement, and when he called me about it he was most worried about the police and not if I was okay.” There are countless stories on Twitter and Instagram detailing how they or someone they know fell victim to the advances of White. Some say that White would even go as far as throwing parties in order to get girls between the ages of 13 – 17 drunk or high, so he could take advantage of them. When he was rejected, he’d resort to verbal and mental tactics to trap the victim; one victim allegedly fell into distress and depression due to the turmoil of rejecting his advances. One allegation detailed the intimate encounters he had with a minor, despite knowing her age. Another allegation detailed how White would frequently use racial slurs and other demeaning words, even going as far as to say that he ‘hates his fans.’

While there are many allegations, the validity of them has not been corroborated. And, the number of allegations on these social media sites are not enough for White to go to court. At most, he might be recast from his role in the Netflix series or written off the show, but so far, there has been no official announcement from the executives of Wednesday.

However, even if we don’t know whether the accusations are true, it’s important to know how to protect yourself in cases similar to this one. KidsFirst (2019) provides four tips on how to protect yourself from sexual predators.

Be Alert and Aware. It’s important to be observant at all times, especially when you are outside and alone. Always try to avoid being alone around adults you don’t know or feel uncomfortable with.
Use a Strong Voice. If you see something, then say something. Speak up for yourself or others when in danger using a firm, loud voice. Try to draw attention from passersby in order to scare the aggressor away. Speak up with clear, unwavering determination and then tell a parent or trusted adult what occurred.
Keep Your Personal Information Out of the Internet. The internet can be scary at times and it’s important not to hand out your personal information to anyone you meet online. Even if you trust that person, you never know. There have been many cases of sexual predators attacking their victims through information they learned from them on the Internet.
Avoid People You’re Uncomfortable With. Your gut feeling is there for a reason. If you’re uncomfortable around them, then try not to be with them. Also, if possible, try to avoid being around intoxicated adults you do not know – it might be dangerous.

The allegations against White are not rare – there have been many cases like this one. Even if it’s revealed that the accusations were all fake, cases of teenage girls being intoxicated at parties and taken advantage of are not uncommon. It’s important to stay vigilant and stay safe.

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