‘Wicked’ Star Marissa Bode Calls Out Ableist Insults Online

Marissa Bode, the 24-year-old actress who brings Nessarose to life in the buzzing 2024 adaptation of Wicked, is speaking out against online bullies who have targeted her character’s disability. 

In the film, Bode portrays Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) younger sister, who uses a wheelchair due to a disability. While Nessarose is a fictional character, Bode herself relies on a wheelchair in real life due to her own mobility challenges. Since the film’s release in late November, Bode has endured “deeply uncomfortable” criticism, with some viewers making insensitive remarks about Nessarose’s use of a wheelchair.

“It is absolutely OK to not like a fictional character,” said Bode while addressing the harmful commentary in a TikTok video shared on Dec. 1. “I am going to be admitting my bias in the way that I have a lot of different feelings on Nessa than a lot of you do, and that’s totally fine. I think Nessa is complex, but that’s the beauty of art.”

Some internet users on TikTok have boldly expressed hate for Nessarose claiming that she fails to stand up for her sister, Elphaba, in the film, but others have crossed the line by making insensitive comments about the character’s disability. These remarks have personally affected Bode, as a member of the disabled community. 

In her video, Bode opened up about how these hurtful comments have impacted her, highlighting the broader issues of disrespect and ableism, the discrimination or oppression of people with disabilities, whether it’s intentional or unintentional.

The star explained that while it’s fine for fans to dislike Nessa as a fictional character, she couldn’t ignore the “aggressive comments and jokes” about Nessa’s disability itself. 

“It’s deeply uncomfortable because disability is not fictional,” the Wicked star continued. “At the end of the day, me — Marissa — is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair. And so, it is simply a low-hanging fruit that too many of you are comfortable taking.”

Bode urged Wicked critics to think twice about their words.

The 24-year-old actress shared that she had also been ridiculed for her disability in the past, emphasizing that such jokes were never harmless or just “punchlines.” Bode felt compelled to speak out on behalf of others who’ve faced similar experiences, even though she was initially fearful of doing so. She explained that she has witnessed firsthand the consequences for disabled individuals who speak out about ableism online—how they’re often told to “just take a joke,” accused of “asking for too much,” or dismissed as complainers.  

Instead of brushing off these concerns, she urged people to truly listen to those affected and understand the emotional impact ableism has on individuals with mobility challenges.

“Thankfully, I’m at a place in my life today where I can recognize these jokes about disability are made out of ignorance,” the Hollywood star added. “I couldn’t say the same about Marissa 10 years ago, and it would have affected younger me a lot more, and I’m worried that a younger version of myself is somewhere on the internet and is harmed by these comments.”

What do you think of Marissa Bode’s response?

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