The Summer I Turned Pretty creator Jenny Han is not holding back about the recent negativity directed at the cast — and new star Elsie Fisher.
“The whole Summer cast and crew have worked hard to make a show we hope you will love, and we are so excited to share it with you guys. The Summer I Turned Pretty community is one of inclusivity,” Han wrote via Instagram Story on Thursday, July 20. “The hurtful comments directed at cast are not in the spirit of the show. Please be mindful of what you’re putting out there and of who is seeing it.”
Skye was introduced to the audience in season 2 as Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah’s (Gavin Casalegno) cousin who identifies as non-binary. They visit Cousins Beach with their mother Julia (Kyra Sedgwick), who wants to sell the beach house after sister Susannah’s (Rachel Blanchard) passing.
Some viewers weren’t thrilled that Skye — who is not included in the original Summer I Turned Pretty book series — was joining the group in a cast shakeup. Other fans, however, were quick to show their support for Han’s post after Fisher, 20, received backlash for portraying Skye.
“This needed to be said. the amount of awful things im seeing being said abt elsie (particularly on tiktok) is so disappointing. making fun of looks, hating on their character that you haven’t even met yet, misgendering them, etc. is so sickening. i hope elsie is ok,” a viewer tweeted about the rude comments regarding Skye.
Elsie Fisher as Skye. Amazon Studios
Another social media commentator questioned why Fisher had become a target for trolls, writing, “If you have a problem with elsie and their character just. don’t. watch. the. show. you should be embarrassed that jenny had to post this.”
Fisher, who has yet to address the commentary around Skye’s addition to the show, previously discussed feeling nervous about joining the hit Prime Video series.
“It’s truly better than I could have ever hoped for. Especially because I had nerves stepping into a pre-established show,” Fisher, who has no pronoun preference, told E! News in October 2022. “We get to create this whole new person. Part of what really drew me to the project is that I get to play a person that still feels very true to myself, but is different from the kind of character people have seen me play before.”
Fisher’s addition came amid another shake-up as Minnie Mills confirmed she wouldn’t be returning as Shayla after appearing in the first season.
“First and foremost, I want to say thank you to Shayla. Playing Shayla was such a privilege, she taught me so much and helped me grow not only as an actor, but as a person. To be able to portray a piece of the representation I’ve always wanted to see on screen was a dream come true and meant the world to me,” the actress, 21, wrote via Instagram in April. “In an industry– and especially genre– where women of color are constantly defined by white men, and asian characters are often portrayed as meek and invisible until seen by a white counterpart, Shayla was unapologetically herself.”
Mills continued: “To everyone who loved Shayla, who felt empowered or inspired by her, she will always be in the first season for you to come back to whenever you need her, and if I ever get the chance, I would love to continue her story. Thank you for supporting her, and thank you for supporting me. I could not have asked for a better cast, crew, or character for my first acting role, and I cannot wait to see what’s next.”
The Summer I Turned Pretty episodes are available to stream on Prime Video Fridays.