Natasha Rothwell has said she is “shocked, heartbroken and frankly, baffled” by the cancellation of her Hulu series How to Die Alone.
The 44-year-old actor and writer, known for her role as Belinda in The White Lotus, created the airport-set comedy, which debuted in September last year.
The show was backed by Onyx Collective, a Disney brand that produces projects created by people of color and from underrepresented communities
In a statement to The Independent, Rothwell wrote: “I am shocked, heartbroken and frankly, baffled that Onyx has decided not to move forward with a second season of How to Die Alone. This is a tough reality to accept because the show is an undeniable critical, creative and award-winning success.”
She went on to say that she intends to shop subsequent series of the show to other broadcasters and streamers.
“This show took me eight years to bring to life, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in that time, it’s resilience,” she wrote. “I’m not giving up. My team and I are committed to finding How to Die Alone a new home because stories like this matter.
“Now more than ever, television that amplifies previously unheard voices, and that prioritizes hiring and casting decisions that accurately reflect the diversity of the world, is essential. Representation isn’t just about visibility — it’s about ensuring that our stories, our existence and our cultural contributions are not erased.
“As Maya Angelou so wisely said, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
“We are rising. And we are not done.”
How to Die Alone was critically praised, with a score of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The series starred Rothwell in the lead role of Mel, who was described in the show’s official logline as “a broke, fat, Black JFK Airport employee who’s never been in love and forgotten how to dream, until an accidental brush with death catapults her on a journey to finally take flight and start living by any means necessary.”
Rothwell will reprise her role as Belinda in the upcoming season of The White Lotus.
In the HBO drama’s debut season, which aired in 2021, Rothwell played a spa worker at the luxury hotel chain’s Hawaii location.
Across six episodes, Belinda connected with grieving and lonely guest Tanya, played by Jennifer Coolidge.
She did not appear in the second season, but will return this year in the show’s Thailand-set third season.
