Warner Bros. has apologized after being criticized by people with disabilities over the depiction of Anne Hathaway’s character in The Witches. In a statement, the studio said it “regretted any offense caused.”
“In the recent Robert Zemeckis-directed adaptation, Hathaway’s villainous character, known as the Grand Witch, has missing fingers. Many people with disabilities pointed out that she appears to have Ectrodactyly, a limb abnormality that’s commonly referred to as “split hand.” Advocates fear that portraying villains with physical defects can perpetuate stereotypes that disabilities are abnormal or scary.”