Wright explains how therapy is helping her navigate Christian faith, self-acceptance and intense scrutiny over her personal life.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
October 9, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Letitia Wright defended her privacy and said public talent does not make the rest of her life “a free-for-all” amid speculation about her relationship and marital status.
- The Black Panther star revealed that online harassment has included messages saying she “deserves to die,” prompting her to question when free speech becomes hateful.
- Wright said therapy has helped her reconcile her Christian faith, personal experiences, and self-acceptance as she prepares to return as Shuri in Avengers: Doomsday and Black Panther 3.
Letitia Wright says she’s been subjected to hateful messages telling her she deserves to die, opening up about the harassment as rumors surrounding her personal life continue to circulate.
During an Oct. 5 appearance on Paloma Faith’s Mad, Sad, Bad podcast, the Black Panther star discussed the difficulties of balancing her Christian faith with her personal life and why she’s become increasingly protective of her privacy.
“People said I deserve to die,” Wright recalled while discussing comments directed at her. When Faith asked whether things had gotten that bad, Wright confirmed, “Yeah. It’s that bad.”
She explained that she tries to avoid reading the messages, particularly as she works through the emotional toll of being judged by people who don’t know her. “If someone was to sit and have a conversation with me and just listen to me, I bet you half of the comments that they’re saying about me would be different,” she said.
The interview comes weeks after Wright sparked marriage speculation following a public appearance with a woman identified as Angel-Vicki. The two were photographed together at the Sept. 3 press night for Wright’s play The Story at London’s National Theatre.
Angel-Vicki subsequently shared photos with the caption, “Happy Press Night! I’m beyond proud of you,” while other images showed the pair wearing matching pajamas and included the affectionate message “mi amor.”
Both women later deactivated their Instagram accounts.
Questions about their relationship grew after Angel-Vicki’s Instagram bio reportedly listed “WLW” and “Married.” An account believed to belong to Wright also reportedly responded “yessssssss” when asked directly whether she was married.
Neither woman has publicly confirmed a wedding, and Wright did not address Angel-Vicki or her marital status during the podcast.
She did, however, make clear that being famous doesn’t mean every part of her life is up for public discussion. “Just because I have a public talent doesn’t mean that the other parts of my life is a free-for-all,” Wright told Faith.
The actress also discussed the complicated relationship between her faith and her personal experiences, acknowledging that the two don’t always align. “I feel like you’re not allowed to be complex,” she explained. “So you have to be either one way or the other.”
Wright said she’s been working through those feelings in therapy while learning to accept herself regardless of outside judgment.
“I’m allowed to be complex and different and whole and still be worthy of love,” she said.
Wright also questioned how far people should be allowed to go when criticizing someone online: “When does free speech become too much? And when does it become just hateful? Really, really hateful.”
The conversation comes as Wright prepares to return as Shuri in Avengers: Doomsday and Black Panther 3, the latter of which will introduce David Jonsson as Prince T’Challa. As her Marvel career moves forward, Wright said she’s still learning to protect herself from the uglier side of public attention.
“I’m learning to love myself within that despite what people may say,” she explained. “And not be told I deserve to die.”
