Anne Hathaway Apologizes After ‘Witches’ Backlash From

Anne Hathaway has apologized to the incapacity group after her new movie “The Witches” brought on backlash because of the detrimental depiction of her character having a limb distinction.

“I have recently learned that many people with limb differences, especially children, are in pain because of the portrayal of the Grand High Witch in ‘The Witches,’” Hathaway wrote on Instagram Thursday. “Let me begin by saying I do my best to be sensitive to the feelings and experiences of others not out of some scrambling PC fear, but because not hurting others seems like a basic level of decency we should all be striving for. As someone who really believes in inclusivity and really, really detests cruelty, I owe you all an apology for the pain caused. I am sorry. I did not connect limb difference with the GHW when the look of the character was brought to me; if I had, I assure you this never would have happened.”

She continued: “I particularly want to say I’m sorry to kids with limb differences: now that I know better I promise I’ll do better. And I owe a special apology to everyone who loves you as fiercely as I love my own kids: I’m sorry I let your family down.”

Hathaway’s villainous character within the movie is at instances seen with three webbed fingers on every hand, one thing that may occur naturally and is sometimes called “split hand,” or clinically as ectrodactyly or symbrachydactyly. Robert Zemeckis’ movie was referred to as out by Paralympic swimmer Amy Marren earlier this week, who stated that “limb difference is not scary” and that disabilities needs to be celebrated and normalized.

Warner Bros. issued an apology to the incapacity group for the depiction of Hathaway’s character as having a “split hand,” one thing that incapacity advocates have stated perpetuates a dangerous trope that disabilities are scary and unnatural.

In the Roald Dahl novel on which the movie relies, the witch characters are described as having “claws instead of fingernails” or “square feet with no toes,” however an illustration within the first version of “The Witches” reveals the witches with 5 fingers on every hand.

See Hathaway’s publish under.