Alexandra, who originally played half-mortal half-goddess Annabeth Chase in the Percy Jackson films, expressed support for Leah, by tweeting, "Leah Jeffries is going to be an incredible Annabeth!!!" Her tweet comes after some fans reacted badly to the news that Leah would play Annabeth in the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians Disney+ series. Alexandra isn't the only one defending Leah. Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan called out fans for "bullying and harassing a child" in a blog post. Riordan wrote, "It's a shame such posts need to be written, but they do.... if you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. I have been clear, as the author, that I was looking for the best actors to inhabit and bring to life the personalities of these characters, and that physical appearance was secondary for me. We took a year to do this process thoroughly and find the best. Leah Jeffries is Annabeth Chase." He noted that many critics are taking issue with the fact that Jeffries doesn't look like the character he created in the books, saying, "Friends, that is racism."