The Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left ‘Wednesday’ originally appeared on Parade.
After a long three years underground, Wednesday is coming to life once more. Netflix’s take on the titular Addams Family daughter became an instant success in 2022, heralded for Jenna Ortega’s performance and mystery box storytelling. And, while fans are waiting with baited breath for the first batch of Season 2 to premiere on Aug. 6, there will be one cast member who has not reenrolled at Nevermore Academy: Percy Hynes White.
White’s character, Xavier Thorpe, was a massive part of the teen drama’s premiere season. Xavier nursed a complicated relationship with Wednesday, having met when they were 10 years old. Their first meeting in some time was a thorny one, to say the least, with the two immediately bristling upon their reunion at Nevermore Academy. Despite his attempts to help her, including the use of his prophetic painting powers, he is still framed for being the monster that is terrorizing Jericho and gets arrested as a result. By season’s end, however, we find out that Xavier is a red herring, set up to obscure the identity of the real monster, Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan).
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Despite Wednesday’s clear error, her relationship with Xavier is mended by season’s end. Thing is able to help him escape arrest and return to the school to help the heroes’ battle against the resurrected spirit of Joseph Crackstone. And, in turn, Wednesday takes an arrow for her fellow psychic. Following Crackstone’s defeat, the two reconcile, with Xavier even offering her a phone to make amends. With Tyler being sent away, it seemed like Wednesday was setting up for the heat to get turned up on the Wednesday-Xavier connection come Season 2.
Unfortunately, that heat promptly cooled in May 2024, when Hynes White wrote in an Instagram post that he would not be returning to the series. “I had so much fun working on this show,” he captioned over a photo of the cast, as well as director and executive producer Tim Burton. “I can’t wait to watch season 2 🙂 Much love.”
Related: Does Jenna Ortega Have a Boyfriend? The ‘Wednesday’ Star’s Dating History Is a Bit of a Mystery
While Hynes White’s dismissal may be shocking, specifically from a show perspective, his departure came as a culmination of a yearlong controversy involving the actor. In January 2023, an anonymous woman posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the actor would manipulate girls into sending nude photos or having sex with him. She even described a situation where Hynes White had “assaulted” her at a party he threw because she was “too drunk.” While the woman would eventually go on to delete the post, several other people posted their own stories, claiming to corroborate the actor’s behaviors.
In June of that year, Hynes White made a statement in his Instagram Stories vehemently denying the allegations.
“Earlier this year, somebody I’ve never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online,” he wrote. “Because of this, my family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats. Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful. My friend Jane was falsely portrayed as a victim, and her attempts to set the record straight have been ignored. She gave me permission to include her in this message.
“The rumors are false. I can’t accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted, or criminally negligent of people’s safety. These are the kind of baseless, harmful claims that can create mistrust toward victims. It’s very distressing to know that this misinformation has upset people.”
Netflix has yet to comment on the reason behind Hynes White’s departure from the show, so it has not been confirmed whether it came as a result of these allegations. Wednesday fans have their own theories to offer, such as rumors that the actor had been liking racist posts and accounts on Instagram, as well as posts criticizing both the show and Burton. Regardless of what the reason is, it will be intriguing to see how the show will handle Xavier’s absence in Season 2 – if it even gets addressed at all. Otherwise, it may become yet another unsolved mystery.
Related: ‘Wednesday’ Returns for Season 2 on Netflix in 2 Parts
The Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left ‘Wednesday’ first appeared on Parade on Aug 4, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
