Girlfriend
  • News
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Life and Advice
  • Entertainment
  • Role Model Search
  • Dolly Doctor
  • Video
Girlfriend
  • News
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Life and Advice
  • Entertainment
  • Role Model Search
  • Dolly Doctor
  • Video
Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer
Watch 1:00

Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer

{headline}

{headline}

The Most Romantic Movies Ever, From Love Actually To Romeo + Juliet

The Most Romantic Movies Ever, From Love Actually To Romeo + Juliet

 Never forget! Netflix hottie Felix Mallard used to star on this Aussie soap

Never forget! Netflix hottie Felix Mallard used to star on this Aussie soap

Every Felix Mallard Moment That Left Our Hands All Gross And Sweaty

Every Felix Mallard Moment That Left Our Hands All Gross And Sweaty

Sorry Ginny & Georgia Fans, Felix Mallard Revealed He Has A Girlfriend

Sorry Ginny & Georgia Fans, Felix Mallard Revealed He Has A Girlfriend

{headline}

{headline}

Moxie’s Lauren Tsai On Seeing Yourself On Screen

Moxie’s Lauren Tsai On Seeing Yourself On Screen

Netflix’s Moxie Gives Us A Healthy On-Screen Romance We Actually Stan

Netflix’s Moxie Gives Us A Healthy On-Screen Romance We Actually Stan

Here's Why Aussie Beaut Felix Mallard Is Our New Netflix Muse

Here's Why Aussie Beaut Felix Mallard Is Our New Netflix Muse

{headline}

{headline}

EXCLUSIVE: Lana Condor On How To All The Boys Helped Her Reconnect With Her Adopted Parents

EXCLUSIVE: Lana Condor On How To All The Boys Helped Her Reconnect With Her Adopted Parents

High School Girls Turn Into Radical Teens Fighting The Patriarchy In Netflix’s Moxie

High School Girls Turn Into Radical Teens Fighting The Patriarchy In Netflix’s Moxie

FYI, You're About To Fall *Hard* For Netflix Star Wyatt Oleff

FYI, You're About To Fall *Hard* For Netflix Star Wyatt Oleff

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

  1. Home
  2. Entertainment

Fate: The Winx Saga Star Responds To Whitewashing Backlash

"It's really sad to see that fans were upset."
  • 02 Feb 2021
Fate: The Winx Saga Star Responds To Whitewashing Backlash

Fate: The Winx Saga star Elisha Applebaum has responded to the backlash about the series’s casting choices.

WATCH: Fate: The Winx Saga Official Trailer

In case you missed it, Fate: The Winx Saga is a Netflix reboot of the classic 00’s cartoon, The Winx Club. The series follows a group of fairies—Bloom, Stella, Flora, Musa, Layla and Tecna—as they attend school and perfect their magical abilities, and save the universe from a council of witches. 

The Fate: The Winx Saga Backlash Explained

When the original animated series debuted in 2004, it was heralded for being ahead of its time in its representation. While Bloom and Stella were portrayed as white, the remaining girls were people of colour: Flora was Latinx, Aisha was Black and Musa was Asian. 

But, in Fate: The Winx Saga, Aisha is the only character of color. Flora, who was inspired in the original series by Jenifer Lopez, has been replaced with her cousin named Terra, and portrayed by white actress Eliot Salt. And Musa, whose design was influenced by Lucy Liu, is now played by Elisha Applebaum, an actress that while part-Singaporean, is also very white-passing. 

In a new interview with Digital Spy, Applebaum has responded to the backlash about the whitewashing casting choices, admitting that “it’s really sad to see that fans were upset with the casting.”

“I wasn’t involved in the casting but I hope that what they’ve seen and how I’ve portrayed Musa was to their liking.”

“I’ve only seen great reviews back from them so they’ve been open-minded from what I’ve created, so I hope that it continues to be that way.”

Elisha Applebaum

In Fate: The Winx Saga, Elisha Applebaum plays Musa (Instagram).

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Looking to the future of Fate: The Winx Saga, Applebaum’s co-star, Eliot Salt—Aka Terra—added that her “greatest hope” is to see Flora appear in season two.

“I think it’s really important that we do see [Terra and Flora together] and if we’re lucky enough to get a season two that’s my greatest hope,” she told Digital Spy. “I think the conversations that have happened around that have been really important and I’m really glad that they’ve happened.”

Fate: The Winx Saga is available to stream on Netflix.

Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 35% -

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 35%

Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 35% -

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 35%

Recommended to you

Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer
Watch 1:00

Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer

{headline}

{headline}

The Most Romantic Movies Ever, From Love Actually To Romeo + Juliet

The Most Romantic Movies Ever, From Love Actually To Romeo + Juliet

 Never forget! Netflix hottie Felix Mallard used to star on this Aussie soap

Never forget! Netflix hottie Felix Mallard used to star on this Aussie soap

Every Felix Mallard Moment That Left Our Hands All Gross And Sweaty

Every Felix Mallard Moment That Left Our Hands All Gross And Sweaty

Sorry Ginny & Georgia Fans, Felix Mallard Revealed He Has A Girlfriend

Sorry Ginny & Georgia Fans, Felix Mallard Revealed He Has A Girlfriend

{headline}

{headline}

Moxie’s Lauren Tsai On Seeing Yourself On Screen

Moxie’s Lauren Tsai On Seeing Yourself On Screen

Netflix’s Moxie Gives Us A Healthy On-Screen Romance We Actually Stan

Netflix’s Moxie Gives Us A Healthy On-Screen Romance We Actually Stan

Here's Why Aussie Beaut Felix Mallard Is Our New Netflix Muse

Here's Why Aussie Beaut Felix Mallard Is Our New Netflix Muse

{headline}

{headline}

EXCLUSIVE: Lana Condor On How To All The Boys Helped Her Reconnect With Her Adopted Parents

EXCLUSIVE: Lana Condor On How To All The Boys Helped Her Reconnect With Her Adopted Parents

High School Girls Turn Into Radical Teens Fighting The Patriarchy In Netflix’s Moxie

High School Girls Turn Into Radical Teens Fighting The Patriarchy In Netflix’s Moxie

FYI, You're About To Fall *Hard* For Netflix Star Wyatt Oleff

FYI, You're About To Fall *Hard* For Netflix Star Wyatt Oleff

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

Girlfriend
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • New Idea
  • Practical Parenting
  • That’s Life
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • marie claire
  • Beauty Crew
  • New Idea food
  • Home Beautiful
  • All Recipes
  • 7plus
  • 7News
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
  • The West Australian
  • Perth Now
  • Airtasker
  • Society One
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Girlfriend

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 35% -

Shop This Offer
Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 35%