'Percy Jackson' star Walker Scobell to skip prom amid death threats

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYMon, April 13, 2026 at 12:42 PM UTC

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Walker Scobell, the star of Disney's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," has revealed young girls in his orbit are facing death threats because of the possibility that he could choose them as his prom date.

The 17-year-old actor, who plays Percy Jackson on the Disney+ show, spoke out in an Instagram story on Sunday, April 12, and said he will not be attending his high school's prom.

"Please stop sending death threats to EVERY teenage girl who could remotely be associated with me based on their proximity to where I live," he wrote. "It's not fair to them or to their families. Maybe also just stop sending death threats in general. That's just not cool. Kinda weird I have to say this."

Walker Scobell attends the premiere of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Season 2 on Dec. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Scobell has starred on Disney's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," the fantasy series that centers on the titular demigod and is based on the popular books by Rick Riordan, since 2023. The second season premiered in December. Speaking to People magazine in January, the actor opened up about the experience of going back to school coming off the success of the first season.

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"When Season 1 was coming out, I was on the press tour, and then I came back, and I think going back to school after the press tour was a little bit weird," he said, though he noted it helped that he has been going to the same school since the fourth grade. "Because I feel like I know everybody so well, and I've known them for such a long time that it's weird to act like – it's weirder to act like it's weird. I feel like you just accept it right away, and everyone has, which has been super nice for me."

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Prior to "Percy Jackson," Scobell starred opposite Ryan Reynolds in Netflix's 2022 science fiction movie "The Adam Project."

This isn't the first time a member of the "Percy Jackson" team has spoken out against fan toxicity.

Walker Scobell speaks during the SCAD TVfest on Feb. 7, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2022, Riordan condemned racist backlash to the casting of Leah Jeffries, who is Black and was 12 years old at the time, as Annabeth Chase, a character who is white in the books. In a post on his website, the author said that "bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong," adding that the "negative comments she has received online are out of line" and "need to stop. Now."

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Riordan also told fans, "You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as white. Friends, that is racism."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Percy Jackson' star Walker Scobell skipping prom, slams death threats

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