Candice Patton 'wanted to leave' The Flash in season 2 because of 'racist, misogynistic' fans
When Candice Patton debuted as Iris West on
The Flash
in 2014, her
groundbreaking casting pushed representation in comic book adaptations
forward in massive ways, as her character was originally portrayed as white in the source material.
But while the actor made history onscreen, her experience offscreen dealing
with backlash from toxic and racist "fans" online made her want to leave the series after only two seasons.
In a new interview with
The Open Up Podcast
, Patton detailed the extent of
the "abuse and harassment" she received for playing Iris.
"It was hard in that aspect, the on-set aspect.
I wanted to leave the show as early as season 2," she says.