Odessa A'zion drops out of Latina 'Deep Cuts' role following backlash

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Odessa A’zion has dropped her role as Zoe Gutierrez in Sean Durkin’s “Deep Cuts” following online backlash over the actor not being Latina.Earlier this week, The Wrap revealed that the “I Love L.A.” and “Marty Supreme” breakout star was cast as Zoe Gutierrez, a Latina character in the A24 film adaptation of Holly Brickley’s debut novel.Set in the 2000s, the story follows two music-obsessed young adults — Joey Morrow (to be played by Drew Starkey) and Eileen Percy Marks (Cailee Spaeny) — as they navigate talent, identity and love through the indie music scenes of Brooklyn and San Francisco.Character Zoe Gutierrez’s identity plays an important role in the book, as she is written as a half-Mexican and half-Jewish lesbian.Many social media users — including her fan accounts — took to the web to criticize A’zion for taking on the role, especially during a political climate when Latino communities are being targeted across the country by ICE and Border Patrol.One A’zion fan account on X, created in October 2025 and managed by two Latinas from Brazil, paused their activity until further notice following the news.“We’re here to state that we do not agree with this casting, especially given the current political state of the US,” @bugzbees wrote in a Jan.

27 post.A fan account under the name “Your #1 Odessa A’zion updates fan account” also voiced disagreement over the casting, also opting to pause activity on their X profile.“We do not agree with the decision to cast a white, non-Mexican actor as a character who was originally written as a Mexican woman of color in the ‘Deep Cuts’ adaptation,” @OdessaAzionUPD wrote on Jan.28.

“This choice perpetuates harmful patterns and representations affecting Latinos of all nationalities, particularly within the current political climate in the United States.”A’Zion cleared the air on her Inst...