‘The Flash’ Star Candice Patton Says The CW Didn’t Protect Her From Racist Fans: “There Were No Support Systems”

“There were no social media protocols in place to protect me, so they just let all that stuff sit there,” Patton said 

“The Flash” actress Candice Patton said in a recent interview that The CW and Warner Bros. did not protect her from toxic and racist fans when she first started playing Iris West on the superhero show.

Patton, who has played West for 8 seasons told “The Open Up Podcast” that harassment protocols weren’t in place when she first got cast in the role back in 2014.

“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,’” Patton said. “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. For me in 2014, there were no support systems. No one was looking out for that. It was free range to get abused every single day. There were no social media protocols in place to protect me, so they just let all that stuff sit there.” 

Patton added: “It’s just not enough to make me your lead female and say, ‘Look at us, we’re so progressive, we checked the box.’ It’s great, but you’ve put me in the ocean alone around sharks. It’s great to be in the ocean, but I can get eaten alive out here.”

“The Flash” was renewed for a ninth season and will kick off production will kick off this summer. Patton is not sure if this will be her final season on the show.

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