The Anne Hathaway Controversy Everyone Forgot About

Fans who know their cerulean from their aqua are dying for "The Devil Wears Prada 2." The highly-anticipated sequel to the beloved movie, which hits theaters May 1, 2026, once again stars Meryl Streep as the imperious Miranda Priestly. Fellow Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, whose stunning transformation from mousy to Chanel-chic was one of the highlights of the original film, returns as Andy Sachs. "The Devil Wears Prada" is one of those movies whose flaws we ignore because it's so entertaining (come on — would the editor of a major fashion magazine really hire an assistant who didn't know D&G from TJ Maxx?). But another of Hathaway's most famous roles was flawed in a way that wasn't as easy to overlook.

In 2020, the actor starred in a new version of "The Witches," based on the book by "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" author Roald Dahl. While the movie was considered charming in other respects, it was met with outrage for the appearance of Hathaway's character. As the child-hating Grand High Witch, she sported just two long fingers and a thumb on each hand, which resembled a real-life condition known as ectrodactyly. Disability advocates took issue with the optics of associating a physical difference with evil and witchcraft. "Limb difference is not scary," declared the Paralympic Games on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Differences should be celebrated and disability has to be normali[z]ed."

Though the studio issued an apology, the "Princess Diaries" star felt compelled to add her own personal mea culpa. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Hathaway explained that when she was shown the character design, she didn't associate it with a disability. "If I had, I assure you this never would have happened," the Oscar winner wrote (via Facebook).

Anne Hathaway apologized for her role in "The Witches" after realizing her evil, three-fingered character might provoke bullying, fear, or discrimination against those with disabilities affecting their extremities. "I do my best to the feelings and experiences of others not out of some scrambling PC fear, but because not hurting others seems like the basic sense of decency we all should be striving for," the "Ocean's 8" star acknowledged in her since-deleted post (via Facebook). "I particularly want to say I'm sorry to kids with limb differences. Now that I know better I promise I'll do better. And I owe a special apology to everyone who loves you as fiercely as I love my own kids: I'm sorry I let your family down." 

Some netizens felt that the backlash to the role was a massive overreaction. One X user with ectrodactyly snarked about complaining to Steven Spielberg about E.T.'s distinctive hands, for instance. Others cited The Penguin, Darth Vader, and The Joker as villains who are disfigured, yet who aren't seen as representative of the disabled community. "So fictional villains should all be piles of pudding, no particular flavor and definitely no discernable features," wrote one such critic. "I was simply raised to know the difference between stories and real life and never became confused."

Hathaway has nonetheless been true to her word. Since making "The Witches," she hasn't taken on any role that features a physical disability. Among her recent projects are "The Idea of You," "Mothers' Instinct," and "Mother Mary," in which she plays a pop star. As for "The Devil Wears Prada 2," the biggest flaw Andy Sachs has is her willingness to get involved with her toxic former boss again.