‘She’s Gotta Have It’ Writer Pens Open Letter To John Boyega After Actor Called Recent Episode “Trash”

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Social media is a funny thing. Years ago, if you wanted to complain about a line of dialogue in a film or TV series, you would tell your friends and family, hoping to find someone to commiserate with. Nowadays, you put your issues on Twitter, and maybe, just maybe, a big-time Hollywood star will retweet you and cause a bit of an uproar. That seems to be what happened with a recent episode of the Netflix series “She’s Gotta Have It.”

Yes, the series in question, “She’s Gotta Have It,” is a remake of the classic Spike Lee film of the same name. Now, with two seasons under its belt, the Netflix series has made a name for itself as more than just yet another remake, revival, or reboot. However, an episode from Season 2 seems to have struck a chord with a certain group of folks who take offense to a discussion that two characters have.

READ MORE: ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ Season 2 Trailer: Spike Lee’s Nola Darling Returns

In the fifth episode of Season 2, two characters are discussing the situation in Hollywood where British-born Black actors seem to be taking roles playing Black Americans (seen below). However, the outrage seems to stem from a moment where the discussion transitions from acting and Hollywood and begin to talk about how British ships brought African slaves to the US, and how Black British folks should somehow come to terms with that.

The clip went viral after someone shared it on Twitter and that tweet was picked up by none other than John Boyega, a Black British actor, who simply called the clip, “Trash.” From there, people debated and discussed the validity or ridiculousness of the clip, with many bringing Spike Lee’s name into the mix.

However, in an open letter shared by IndieWire, Barry Michael Cooper, the writer of the episode, hopes to address Boyega, clear up the controversy, and explain the reason for the scene.

“I wrote Nola’s politicized screed not only to be provocative, but to also bracket her riposte with a historical reference,” wrote Cooper. “Nola’s measured diatribe was a means of informing Olu (which also literally aroused him, based on the ferocity of their sex in the following scene), and to stir the viewers, too. I wanted to write a scene that would inspire a Transatlantic and intra-racial discussion about slavery and the emotional keloids that continue to scar the African diaspora to this very day.”

READ MORE: John Boyega Thinks ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Will Feature His Last Appearance In A ‘Star Wars’ Film

The entire letter is quite long, and worth a read. Ultimately, it appears that the point of the episode, and that scene, in particular, was to get people talking and to create a discourse. Clearly, that has happened.

“Mr. Boyega, I appreciate your response—and the response of your fellow UK black brothers and sisters—to my ‘trashy’ episode. I hope that response will get our family in the diaspora to talk to each other, and more importantly, to listen to each other,” he added.

“She’s Gotta Have It” Season 2 is available now on Netflix.