Following the casting of Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians Disney+ series, author Rick Riordan has taken to the internet to defend the casting from a small section of racist fans.
In a recent blog post, Riordan — who wrote all five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books in the series — spoke out in favor of the casting, calling it “a shame” that he had to even write the blog post before praising Jeffries, who Riordan said would be “a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be.”
“The core message of Percy Jackson has always been that difference is strength,” Riordan went on to say.
“If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me,” said Riordan in his post.