After days of detailing racist, transphobic, hostile, and abusive behavior on and off sets with several people involved with American Horror Story, including Ryan Murphy and Emma Roberts, Angelica Ross has announced that she is “leaving Hollywood.”
For the folks who haven’t put it together yet, I’m “leaving Hollywood”. There are multiple articles that will be coming out detailing this. So I suggest you and your faves play nice, cuz I’m a Black trans woman with nothing to lose. Candy was born from my body. IYKYK. IYDYD.
— A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross) September 21, 2023
“For the folks who haven’t put it together yet, I’m ‘leaving Hollywood,’” she wrote on X. “There are multiple articles that will be coming out detailing this. So I suggest you and your faves play nice, cuz I’ma Black trans woman with nothing to lose. Candy was born from my body. IYKYK. IYDYD.”
It’s not JUST that the idea changed. Things change all the time. It’s that I called business affairs for MONTHS trying to get clarity if they were picking up my contract option or if I was ok to tell Marvel that I was available for whatever they were calling me for. I had been… https://t.co/On0sBPfRTK
— A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross) September 18, 2023
Initially, Ross shared details about Murphy, the creator of AHS, stringing her along about an all-Black-woman-led season and keeping her under a first-position contract, leading her to miss opportunities with other companies, including Marvel.
Thank you @RobertsEmma for calling and apologizing, recognizing your behavior was not that of an ally. I will leave the line open to follow up on your desire to do better and support social justice causes with your platform.
— A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross) September 20, 2023
She then started sharing stories of mistreatment she faced on the set of AHS: 1984, including crew members wearing racist shirts, and her co-star Emma Roberts misgendering her and making fun of her voice.
Since then, Roberts has reached out to Ross to apologize. Murphy has yet to comment.
The last 3 years have been a nightmare in ways you are only beginning to know about. This is about a SERIES of events that tell a different kind of horror story. People on here are being unpaid extras whose inhumanity is frightening. Just know I’m prepared to face every demon.
— A N G E L I C A (@angelicaross) September 21, 2023
Yesterday, Ross explained that it wasn’t just about one or two individual instances, it was a pattern.
“The last 3 years have been a nightmare in ways you are only beginning to know about,” she wrote on X. “This is about a SERIES of events that tell a different kind of horror story. People on here are being unpaid extras whose inhumanity is frightening. Just know I’m prepared to face every demon.”
Ross’ breakthrough as an actor was in the Emmy-nominated web series Her Story, where she played a trans lawyer looking for love. Since then, she has had guest roles in Claws, Danger & Eggs, and Transparent.
In 2018, she started playing Candy Ferocity in Pose. When she joined AHS: 1984, she became the first trans actress to secure two series regular roles on different shows. She also appeared in the film Framing Agnes.
Ross is also an accomplished singer, having released music and starring in Chicago as Roxie Hart on Broadway in 2022. She also has a long history in the tech world. In 2014, she founded TransTech Social Enterprises and later founded the TransTech Summit.
Whatever she decides to do next, you can be sure she’s going to be great at it.