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The Witcher fans drove Yennifer actor Anya Chalotra off social media after season 1
You thought Witcher fandom backlash started with the Liam Hemsworth recast? According to Yennifer AKA Chalotra, the online negativity started way earlier than that
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Like any mainstream fandom, The Witcher has its share of toxic fans. Recently, that subject has been brought to the fore by the Liam Hemsworth recasting of Geralt of Rivia, which inspired plenty of general disappointment in the fanbase as well as a few simply vitriolic reactions from its darker corners. But that extreme negativity is nothing new to the franchise, as long-running series lead Anya Chalotra recently revealed.
Speaking to The Guardian in an article published October 31, Chalotra revealed that toxic interactions with a small number of The Witcher's many fans was a significant challenge during the beginning of her time as character Yennifer. In fact, it's why she's currently not on any social media.
"I’m not on social media," said the Creature Commandos star, "I stopped… I haven’t been on it for a long time. The first season, for me … there was a lot of negativity. A lot of positive as well, but obviously the negative … This was one of my first jobs. It hit me hard. I learned very quickly that it can all be quite intense."
As heartening as it is to hear that Chalotra also recalls the "lot of positive" energy that the actor experienced (there's some good in the world yet, right?), it says a lot that Chalotra is still off social media now - nearly six years after season 1 debuted. Perhaps it's a sign we should all be taking her lead.
The Witcher season 4 is streaming on Netflix now.
Return to the Continent - be it the original Witcher books, the great Witcher games, or the excellent Witcher TV series franchise at Netflix. To help you on your journey, we have our key articles about Geralt's adventures here:
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