'The Flash' actor Candice Patton says CW, Warner Bros failed to protect her against racism

Hollywood star Candice Patton, who played Iris for eight seasons and counting in The Flash, recalled how The CW and Warner Bros failed to protect her from racism. During a conversation on The Open Up Podcast, she stated that neither the network nor the studio had protocols to protect her against 'toxic fans'. Candice Patton was the first woman of colour to play Iris, a move which angered certain sections of fans.

The Flash stars Grant Gustin in the title role, along with Candice, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdez, Tom Cavanagh, and Jesse L Martin in supporting roles.

Candice Patton says CW & Warner Bros didn't protect her from racism

As per Variety, while opening up about the racism she dealt with when she debuted as Iris West on The Flash, she said on The Open Up Podcast, "Now people understand how fans can be racist, especially in genre [film and tv], but at the time it was kind of just like, ‘That’s how fans are, whatever',".

Explaining how The CW and Warner Brothers didn't protect her, she added, "Even with the companies I was working with, The CW and WB, that was their way of handling it. We know better now. It’s not ok to treat your talent that way, to let them go through abuse and harassment."

Candice said in 2014, there were no support systems as no one was looking out for her, and it was free-range to get abused every single day, adding, "there were no social media protocols in place to protect me, so they just let all that stuff sit there". The Astray actor further continued that she was the first woman of colour to play Iris, which angered certain sections of fans. She said, "It's a dangerous place to be in when you're one of the first, and you're facing backlash for it and there's no help."

Patton says she wanted to leave The Flash in S2

She even stated that she wanted to leave The Flash in Season 2 because the harassment was getting bad, adding that she stayed with the series because she felt a responsibility to her inclusive casting. Patton also stated that she was treated differently than white actors on the show.

"It was more about the protocols in place and the things I see happening for my white counterpart that's not happening to me. Seeing how I was treated differently than other people. Seeing how I'm not protected by the network and the studio. Those were the things that not necessarily hurt me but frustrated me,” she noted.

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