Angelica Ross used her platform to call out Ryan Murphy for allegedly ghosting her about a potential American Horror Story project — which ended up costing her more jobs.
The actress, 42, took to social media on Monday, September 18, to share an alleged email exchange between her and Murphy from July 2020. “Remember your idea about a HORROR season starring black women? Well I’m doing it,” Murphy seemingly wrote to Ross, according to the screenshot via X. “Not sure of the story yet, but we will start a writers room in the fall.”
Murphy, 57, also included suggestions for the cast including Keke Palmer and Gabourey Sidibe. In response, Ross showed her support for the potential series.
“YAAAAAASSSSS!” Ross wrote before adding Debbi Morgan, Lynn Whitfield, Alfre Woodard, Adina Porter and Angela Bassett to the list of actresses to consider. “I honestly have a long list of Black women I want to work with. Gabrielle Union, Viola Davis, Lupita [Nyong’o], Kerry Washington, Halle Berry.”
Ross credited Zakiya Dalila Harris’s novel The Other Black Girl — which has since been turned into a Hulu series — for inspiring her to come forward.
“So, as Nella considered why she distrusted Needles and Pins so much, she also considered what Jesse had said about white people who went out of their way to present ‘diversity,’” Ross quoted the book in her post. “With heightened awareness of cultural sensitivity comes great responsibility. If we’re not careful, ‘diversity’ might become an item people start checking off a list and nothing more—a shallow, shadowy thing with but one dimension.”
Ross rose to fame following her critically acclaimed role in 2018’s Pose, which was created by Murphy. The duo collaborated once again for two seasons of American Horror Story: 1984 and Double Feature.
In a separate alleged email exchange, Ross reached out to Murphy for an update on season 11 of a project. She was presumably referring to American Horror Story, whose eleventh season titled NYC was released in 2022 and didn’t feature Ross.
“I think I could add a lot to the table in the overall storyline if we are still looking to do a Black lead cast,” she noted after asking to be considered for a producer role as well, to which she seemingly never got a response. “I sent one last email in Feb 2022 (it took about a year to film season 10 due to COVID) while still contractually in first position with the show.”
According to Ross, she lost out on other roles while waiting to hear from Murphy, adding, “Mind you, marvel had called twice now. I haven’t heard from him since.”
She concluded: “Please ask somebody about me. If I’m at the point of publicly showing receipts you can believe I don’t have any f—ks left to give when it comes down to it. And I’m not even done pulling out the receipts.”
Earlier this year, Ross candidly discussed how her contract with FX affected her career.
“I was under a 7 year contract with FX in what they call ‘first position.’ As a series regular, I could not work anywhere else without getting network approval,” she wrote via Instagram in July about the SAG and WGA strikes. “While working on AHS season 10 I was told I would be returning to season 11 and was put on hold for several months. During this time Marvel called a few times asking about my availability. By the time FX released me, Marvel stopped calling. Now it’s been years since I have had an acting job. This is also why we are striking. #UnionStrong #SAGAFTRAstrike.”
Murphy, for his part, faced backlash for continuing to film season 12 of American Horror Story in June as writers and later actors started their respective fights for fair pay. Production on the upcoming season was completed — with Kim Kardashian and Emma Roberts in the lead roles. American Horror Story: Delicate Part One premieres on FX Wednesday, September 20.
Us Weekly has reached out to Murphy for comment.
