A new Spider-Man fan film has recently been gaining traction and now its Peter Parker actor has screenshots of racist messaging popping up.

The recent fan film Spider-Man: Lotus is now facing backlash as the actor playing Peter Parker in the film, Warden Wayne, has had racist messages they were involved in released on social media. Throughout the messages, he repeatedly uses the n-word and shares racist sentiments about POC.

The actor claimed that the messages that were shared are from their high school days and that they now look back on that time in disgust. The reception to the apology has been mixed, with some maintaining their anger due to him waiting until the issue was forced to apologize. Others said they viewed his apology as sincere and hope he continues improving.

Rehabilitation is definitely necessary to achieve a better society, but one apology isn’t enough, there needs to be repeated displays of improved behavior and intensive anti-racist course correction, and that’s what remains to be seen— how Warden will respond to this situation over the coming months and years. There may be nobody there to watch him, but his actions are how he can earn back the respect he has lost if he is lucky enough to be given a second chance.

“Yeah I definitely won’t be watching Spider-Man: Lotus anymore  

– (Messages from Peter Parker actor in the upcoming short film)”

“I’ve been wanting to come forward about this for a long time. Please read.”

“Hello everyone, I’ve decided to come out in regards to certain things from my past. I’ve always thought it was better to be above reproach and come forward honestly about mistakes I made when I was younger. This is very hard to say, and I feel gross. But I’m coming clean.

Years ago when I was in high school, I used to say terrible things. I used offensive language, often homophobic or racially insensitive, casually or in jokes. I am sorry, and I’m ashamed.

I was raised in a homeschool conservative environment in a small town in Arkansas, where I had to sneak around on other iPads & computers to use social media. My family has always been associated with groups such as the Duggars, and those values were subsequently pushed onto me. I didn’t get my own cell phone until I was 18. I was in a bubble, where I wasn’t aware of how serious it was for me to say these things or these words. My ideas of right and wrong were skewed.

My friend group at the time encouraged and perpetuated these habits. All of it quickly became a part of my vocabulary because of the lifestyles around me, and I didn’t want to be excluded. And I’m embarrassed to say so. I had convinced myself it wasn’t wrong for me to say because of the justification I was constantly persuaded to believe. And I was never held accountable for it.

The groups I associated with online were not good people. But I wanted to fit in, and have friends. So I aligned myself and tried to act in ways they’d approve of. Which included saying offensive things for the sake of a reaction or making ignorant jokes. I was an immature kid with too much time and no sense of integrity. I was stupid. There was even a time when I made an account solely dedicated to hating on Younis, who is now one of my best friends. He knows about that account now, and the things I used to say about him. But he forgave me, because of how much I’ve worked to change my habits over the past 4+ years.

I’m embarrassed and sad at who I was, and I’m sorry to anyone I may have hurt years ago, or to anyone I may hurt now by revealing this information.

When I was finally able to leave the bubble I was in, and find people with a more stable sense of morality, I was able to be told that the things I said WERE wrong. And I learned. I pushed to change.

But regardless of any of this, I should’ve known better. And I spend every day wishing I hadn’t been a terrible person when I was younger. But I can’t change the past. All I can do is take responsibility, and own up to my incredible shortcomings. And continue trying to be a better person.

I hope you all can forgive me. I’m sorry.”

Screenshots have also been circling of the film’s director, Gavin Konop, using slurs.

“Since Warden Wayne has been exposed, I think it’s a better time than ever to expose Gjkcentral aka Gavin Konop”

https://twitter.com/Berkmanboom/status/1538739924211359744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Other members of the cast of Spider-Man: Lotus also came forward to speak their minds on the issue and talk about to what extent they were involved with Wayne.

“Keep me out of it.”

“I befriended Warden & Gavin a little over a year ago when Lotus was in pre-production. I wasn’t close with either of them at the times these screenshots have been dated on. I was never even in these group chats. We were not close until Lotus came to formation. If I saw this behavior or anything even slightly resembling this behavior while I was on set, best believe I wouldn’t have tolerated that shit and would have been out of there instantly. The words exchanged in these group chats, both the authentic ones and the ones that have been doctored, are absolutely detestable and everything wrong with the industry and the people who run it.

I did not catch a whiff of this while I was on set, and nobody that I worked with brought attitudes or views like this when they came to work. For the most part, the culture on set was positive and bereft of this disgusting stuff. I am disappointed, in shock, and just sad that this is what the project we spent so much time and effort on, has become.

I wish to not speak about the project in the near future because in all honesty, I do not care for it right now. Please keep me out of those conversations. I hope you all can understand.
I’m sorry that this is what the project has come to.

-Younis”

https://twitter.com/younityyy/status/1538955043323404289

“Well, Spider-Man: Lotus is trending again, for reasons no-one could’ve guessed. Me included.

During my time on Lotus I only interacted with a few crew members, but I never heard of any racism going on, past or present. I wouldn’t have joined the production had I known. (1/5)”

https://twitter.com/low_res_jpg/status/1538743538690686976

To read more about Spider-Man check out our article here.

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