One of the more striking absences in the much-anticipated second season of Wednesday is the character of Xavier Thorpe, portrayed by Percy Hynes White. Xavier, a brooding artist and significant love interest for Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams in Season 1, was notably missing from Season 2 after the actor faced false sexual assault allegations earlier this year.
The Vanishing of Xavier Thorpe
Before Season 2 premiered, it was officially confirmed that Percy Hynes White would not be returning as a series regular. He was joined in this status change by Jamie McShane (Sheriff Donovan Galpin) and Naomi J Ogawa (Yoko Tanaka). White later posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram story, wishing his former castmates good luck and reflecting fondly on filming the first season.
The show addressed Xavier’s absence directly in the premiere episode of Season 2. Steve Buscemi’s character, Principal Barry Dort, informs Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones) that Vincent Thorpe, Xavier’s father, pulled his son from Nevermore Academy and withdrew his financial endowment after Xavier was falsely accused of murder in Season 1. Xavier is now attending Reichenbach Academy in Switzerland.
Wednesday’s father, Gomez (Luis Guzmán), adds a personal connection by mentioning he spent a semester at the same Swiss school during his time as an Outcast exchange student.
A Haunting Goodbye from Afar
Though Xavier doesn’t appear in person, his presence lingers. Enid, Wednesday’s werewolf roommate, delivers a letter from Xavier to Wednesday in their dormitory. Xavier, who had gifted Wednesday a phone in the previous season, writes about a mysterious vision involving a crow with a cloudy eye surrounded by raw red skin. He leaves behind a haunting painting of the crow perched on a shadowed gravestone holding a white flower, a chilling omen tied to Wednesday’s fate.
The episode culminates in Wednesday having a vision predicting that she will inadvertently cause Enid’s death, symbolized by the grim bird on Enid’s gravestone. This eerie narrative thread reinforces Xavier’s continued emotional significance despite his physical absence.
The Fallout from Allegations
The decision to write out Percy Hynes White’s character came in the wake of sexual assault allegations against the actor that emerged in January 2023. An anonymous social media post accused White of assault at a party in Toronto and alleged he had deliberately intoxicated women to sleep with them. The accusations, however, were never substantiated, and the post was later deleted.
Despite the lack of evidence, Netflix reportedly decided to remove White from the show. A source told the Daily Mail UK that Percy is “a wonderful young man” who “never took part in any of the false claims” and emphasized that the allegations were unsubstantiated rumors on Twitter.
White himself denied the accusations publicly, calling them “misinformation.” His recent work includes a role in the 2024 film My Old Ass alongside Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza, as well as an appearance with Jenna Ortega in Spring, Winter, Summer or Fall (2024).
Other Departures and Storyline Conclusions
Jamie McShane’s character, Sheriff Donovan Galpin, also exits early in Season 2, with his storyline concluding in a dramatic death in Episode 2. This marked a close to the character’s arc, leaving a narrative void filled by new plot developments.
What Wednesday Is About
Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Wednesday is a live-action fantasy comedy-drama marking Tim Burton’s directorial debut in television. The show follows Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, a witty and deadpan teenager with emerging psychic abilities.
After a disciplinary incident involving live piranhas, Wednesday is expelled from her previous school and enrolled at Nevermore Academy—a boarding school for monstrous outcasts located in the fictional town of Jericho, Vermont. The series blends coming-of-age drama, gothic mystery, and supernatural elements, enriched by the stellar supporting cast including Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, and Christina Ricci reprising a new role in a full-circle nod to her iconic portrayal of Wednesday in the 1990s films.
The exclusion of Percy Hynes White’s Xavier Thorpe in Wednesday Season 2 underscores how allegations—even unproven ones—can impact casting and storytelling decisions in high-profile productions. Fans of the series will now watch closely to see how Xavier’s absence shapes Wednesday’s evolving story and relationships in the new season.
