What Happened to Percy Hynes White’s Character on ‘Wednesday’? originally appeared on Parade.
WARNING! This article spoils the events of Wednesday Season 2, Part 1, now available for streaming on Netflix. Please do not read further if you do not intend to know what happens in the first half of Season 2.
In its Season 2 premiere, Wednesday welcomed the cast – and fans – back to Nevermore for another semester of romance, mystery and general supernatural hijinks. However, there was one notable student who had not chosen to re-enroll: Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White).
It’s safe to say Xavier had one of the most complicated relationships with Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) during her first semester at Nevermore. The two had met at a young age and even shared psychic powers. But the two often bristled with their banter, and their dynamic became strained to say the least when she accused him of being the monster murdering the people of Jericho. Despite getting arrested under false pretenses, Xavier put bygones aside and rushed back to school to help Wednesday’s fight against the ghost of Joseph Crackstone.
Once the evil was defeated and the dust had settled, Wednesday and Xavier had started the process of rebuilding their relationship. Released from prison, he gives her a phone, hoping to open a literal line of communication. Considering the note Season 1 ended on, it seemed a given that Xavier and Wednesday’s dynamic would be a constant in Season 2 – and perhaps even teased into a romance.
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Unfortunately, when Wednesday returns to Nevermore for Season 2, which released its first batch of episodes today on Netflix, she is shocked to find one of the constants is no longer in the equation. When new principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi) talked with the Addams Family, he made mention of how Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) would be taking over as chair of the Fundraising Gala from Vincent Thorpe, Xavier’s father.
“[He] Thorpe chaired the last 3 years,” he explains. “But after Xavier was falsely accused of murder, he pulled his son and his endowment from Nevermore.”
Wednesday is understandably surprised by Xavier’s sudden departure. Dort goes on to say that he traveled abroad to attend Reichenbach Academy in Switzerland. In essence, Xavier Thorpe has been written out of Wednesday.
That said, while gone, his presence is certainly not forgotten. Later in the episode, Wednesday receives a gift from Xavier at her dorm. “Consider this my goodbye gift,” it reads. “The image suddenly flashed in my head. Don’t ask me how I know or what it means, but it’s connected to you, I’m sure. Who’s Wednesday Addams without a mystery to solve, right?”
Related: The Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left ‘Wednesday’
The gift in question is a painting of a crow sitting on a gravestone. It proves to be a key connection for Wednesday, whose motivation throughout Season 2 is a psychic vision of her best friend Enid’s (Emma Myers) death, as she is surrounded by crows in a graveyard. And the biggest mystery so far has been a shadowy individual who is sending out a literal murder of crows to kill people all over town.
Xavier’s departure for the show marks a culmination of a dramatic year for Percy Hynes White. In May 2024, the actor posted a photo to his Instagram stories of some of the Wednesday cast, as well as director and executive producer Tim Burton. “I had so much fun working on this show,” he wrote. “I can’t wait to watch season 2 🙂 Much love.”
Netflix has given no statement as to why Hynes White left Wednesday. However, fans have speculated that it was at least due in part to a controversy the star had gotten into recently. In January 2023, an anonymous woman posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Hynes White 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 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.”
Regardless of whether or not these allegations were linked to the decision, after Hynes White announced he wouldn’t be returning to Wednesday, fans were waiting to see how the show would handle his absence. Would he simply not be acknowledged at all? Would he be killed off, in a manner fitting for the Gothic teen drama? But, fitting for a person who can bring his art to life, it’s only appropriate that the Wednesday writers paint a picture of why Xavier – and Hynes White – have left Nevermore behind for good.
Next, ‘Wednesday’ Season 2, Part 1 Ending Explained
What Happened to Percy Hynes White’s Character on ‘Wednesday’? first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
