#also Bradley saying bob comes to a full stop at stop signs actually sent me 😂

[sugarcoated-lame]

I hate Danny, but I absolutely love love LOVED everything else about this chapter !!! 🧡✨

Kitten, what did you wear to bed?

Nothing. Kittens don't wear pajamas.

giggling, I can’t get over the way she teases him it’s just so good

‘But when he saw you and Everett arrive at the field, he couldn't help thinking that this whole thing would have been made better if he had slept over with you last night. He could have made pancakes for breakfast, and the three of you could have come to the game in his Bronco.’

oh my god, could he be anymore perfect 🥺

AND BOB ASKING ABOUT MOLLY !!!! “COACH CUTE GLASSES” ????

Also Danny hitting on Molly?? Just when I think I couldn’t hate him more.. I wish Molly had hit him!

"Mom. I think Coach Bradley likes you!" i’m crying Ev is just too adorable 🥹

And then Bradley was standing behind Everett, gently patting his shoulders and looking at you. "Ev was doing a great job batting today. I think he could handle some real pitches soon. Maybe even the batting cages," he told you, and you watched your son's face break out into a smile. 

"We can all go," Bradley said, but it just made you want to cry more. You weren't in a relationship with him. You weren't even technically sleeping with him. But he treated Ev with so much more care and respect that Danny did. And he was good to you as well.

I’m actually so ready to fight Danny for making Everett cry 😡 but I love how protective Bradley has grown of them already, wanting to do everything he can to cheer up Everett, and admiring Kitten for how strong she is. Danny is actually the worst and she and Everett deserve so much better— ahem, Coach 👀

"Oh, Kitten. I don't want to see that kid cry ever again."

it makes my heart happy to see how clearly he cares about Ev so much 😭🥹

AND BRADLEY GIVING EV HIS OLD PHILLIE PHANATIC AS A GOOD LUCK CHARM !! I’M SWOONING ONCE AGAIN

‘You bit your lip and ran your fingers down the front of his shirt. "It's just that, Kittens really know how to use their tongue."’

literally sitting here like giggling and twirling my hair I can’t with them !!!! Emily, I just love the way you write these two so, so much 🥹🥰🧡💕🧡💕🧡

Batting Practice Part 10 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley is craving more alone time with you, but his work schedule is going to make that difficult. And when Danny comes to tee ball practice and makes Everett cry, Bradley lets you know that he would be so much better. 

Warnings: Fluff, angst, swearing

Length: 4900 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female single!mom Reader

Check my masterlist for more Top Gun fun!

Bradley had a long night. He had to jerk off two times before he could fall asleep, and even then, he kept dreaming you were with him. He woke up, his body searching for you in his bed before he convinced himself you really had gone inside your own house. 

When he had to get up to shower before the tee ball game, he felt like he had barely slept, but at least he'd be able to see you again in a few hours. 

When he checked the time on his phone, he saw you had sent him a picture of you all snuggled up in your bed. You looked beautiful without any makeup on as sunlight lit up the bare skin of your shoulders, and he was texting you back right away. 

Kitten, what did you wear to bed?

He forced himself to get up and head to his bathroom. As he was stepping into the shower, you wrote back.

Nothing. Kittens don't wear pajamas.

He couldn't write back. He'd never get himself in order if he did. But when he saw you and Everett arrive at the field, he couldn't help thinking that this whole thing would have been made better if he had slept over with you last night. He could have made pancakes for breakfast, and the three of you could have come to the game in his Bronco. 

"Hi, Coach," you called to him with that little wave, and he knew he wasn't going to get enough of you. Especially not since he learned about all the little noises you make when you come apart in his lap.

"Kitten," he muttered, squeezing Everett's shoulder and sending him over to Bob to warm up. You were smirking up at him. "Where do you stand on me kissing you right now?"

"Oh," you gasped, and Bradley watched you glance around to see Sandra and all the other moms were nearby. "I..."

"It's fine," he whispered. "Just know that I want to, okay?"

You nodded up at him before he turned toward the game that was about to start. 

It turns out the Tiny Eagles were indestructible up to this point. They beat the Tiny Falcons by five runs, and Everett scored twice. Bradley smiled when he turned to you both times to find you cheering for your son. You looked even more excited than you had when you had managed to hit some balls at the batting cages. 

When the game ended and the kids started to disperse, heading toward the bleachers, Bob made his way over to Bradley. 

"Great job, head coach," Bradley told him, shaking his arm and making him smile. "Undefeated after three games."

Bob nodded, blushing a soft shade of pink. "I think you're a better coach than you're giving yourself credit for. The kids love you."

Bradley's eyes caught on Everett as you knelt down to help him switch his shoes. "I'm having fun."

Bob followed his gaze and mumbled, "Do you know if Molly's coming to another practice or anything?"

Bradley had to reel in his desire to smirk. "You want me to ask Team Mom if she'll invite her sister again?"

Bob's blue eyes lit up. "Would you? I mean... I'll probably just chicken out again, but I want to ask her for her phone number next time I see her."

"Well, you should. According to her sister, Molly thinks you're hot." Bradley watched Bob's face turn from pink to bright red as he sputtered before turning and walking away.

----------------------

You watched Bradley head your way, getting a high five from Everett. "You two sticking around? Or am I walking you to your car?"

More than anything you wanted to get to spend more time with him this weekend. You had to run Everett to a birthday party this afternoon, and tomorrow you had a family function. Both were things you would have invited him to tag along to if you had been dating him for a while. 

"Busy weekend, Coach," you told him, running your fingers along the back of his hand. "Walk us up?"

You watched him crouch down so Everett could get a piggyback ride, and you laughed at the two of them in their matching blue jerseys and hats. "That's adorable," you told them, running a few steps ahead to take a picture. One that would probably make your heart melt every time you looked at it, but that was okay. 

"Send it to me?" Bradley asked, and you texted it to both him and Molly. 

You listened to Everett ask Bradley when he could go to the park again, eager to see that fastball in action. "I'll talk to your mom, okay? Figure out a good time?"

"Okay, Coach," Everett replied with a bright smile, one you never saw on his face on the rare occasion that Danny was around.

"And now I have a question for you," Bradley told you as you approached your car. "A favor, really."

"Yes, Coach?" you asked, smiling innocently at him. Last night you rode his thigh until you came in your jeans. Maybe he was right; maybe you did love to tease him. 

You listened to him clear his throat. "Can you get Aunt Molly to come to another game? Or a practice? Please?"

You crossed your arms and rolled your eyes. "Don't tell me you're going to bring her more flowers?"

Bradley snorted and looked at you like you had two heads. "I'm not asking for me, Kitten. Bob's jonesing hard for Molly."

"Oh." Your first response was immediately embarrassing now. You already knew Bob had a thing for your sister, and now you sounded like an idiot. You watched Bradley set Everett down and open the car door for him. 

"See you on Monday, kiddo." Everett gave him a high five before Bradley closed the door. Then he focused all of his attention on you. "Tell me you're not jealous, Kitten."

"No," you whispered. "And I already know Bob likes her. But Danny used to hit on Molly all the time, and I'm sorry, I just... I'm sorry."

Bradley was frozen, a look of disgust on his face. "Your ex husband used to hit on your sister? Are you joking right now?"

You shook your head. "He used to hit on everyone. I couldn't even have girl friends around. I could barely spend time with Molly. She hates him so much, I thought she was going to hit him at times."

"Kitten," he whispered, and he started to reach for you before he stopped. But before his hand could drop down to his side, you caught it. You had basically told him earlier that you didn't want him to kiss you in public, but now you were pulling him closer. You could make the next move here. 

You wrapped your arms around his waist and leaned up to kiss him. After one soft brush of your lips, Bradley whispered, "We doing this in public now? In front of Ev?"

"Yeah," you confirmed, and then he kissed you a little harder, but kept his hands on all of your G rated body parts. He didn't let his lips linger too long, but he also didn't let you go. 

"Let me know when you and Ev are free? Maybe we can get some pizza after practice this week?"

You nodded up at him. "You know who else likes pizza? Molly. Want to see if Bob's free, too?"

Bradley laughed. "Yeah. Let's work on that."

When you slipped into your car and started the engine, Everett said, "Mom. I think Coach Bradley likes you!"

You couldn't help but laugh. "I think so too, Ev."

---------------------

Monday had been going so well for Bradley. You and he had been texting all weekend, including a few risque photos. You also managed to get Molly to agree to come to practice on Thursday, and Bradley already informed Bob that she would be there. Bob was already so flustered, Bradley didn't see how he would even make it to Thursday. 

So his day was going well, right up until he was getting ready to leave base for tee ball practice.

"You have a minute?" Mav asked, and Bradley just shrugged.

"For you? I guess I have to."

Mav kind of laughed and then shook his head. "I have to send you up to Lemoore for a few days. Need you there by Saturday afternoon."

"You're joking," Bradley said. "I have a tee ball game on Saturday, Mav."

"Yeah, well, Bob can coach solo for one game. I need to send someone for training, and they selected you. At least it's not a full deployment."

Bradley ran his hands over his face. "Yeah," he grunted. He had already been planning out a way to get some more alone time with you. He had been hoping you'd agree to a sleepover at your house if Bradley left in the morning before Everett was up. Now he was going to have to go days without even seeing you. It's not like sleeping with you was the only thing on Bradley's mind, but his thoughts were wandering there a lot now. 

He'd tell you today at practice that he would be gone for a bit. He was just disappointed that he didn't have much choice. After he parked at the ballfield and started setting things up with Bob, his heart leapt when he saw you park next to his Bronco. But then he saw someone park on the other side of you, and a man got out and was immediately in your personal space and Everett's.

Bradley looked on with concern as Everett ran ahead of you with his gear bag, his face pinched like he was about to cry. You were still next to your car, and the other man was gesturing wildly with his hands while he loomed over you. He was tall, and even with your heels on, he dwarfed you. 

But Bradley peeled his gaze away from you as Everett got closer to the bleachers. "Hey, kiddo. You okay?"

He just nodded and sat down and started yanking his shoes off. But he didn't really look okay, and neither did you. Everett was swiping away tears before they could fall, and Bradley was seething with anger.

He knelt in front of Everett and helped him pull his cleats out. "Is that your dad talking to your mom?"

"Yeah," he replied softly and sobbing once before going silent again. Everett usually talked nonstop, constantly asking questions and wanting to know everything that was going on around him. 

Bradley cleared his throat. "How was school today?" he asked, doing up the laces and making sure Everett was ready for practice.

But he just shrugged and gave another one word answer. "Fine."

Bradley sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "We're going to have batting practice today, and I'll make sure I put you at the top of the lineup, how does that sound?"

He watched the kid's eyes light up a little bit. "Sounds good, Coach."

"Great. Now why don't you start warming up with Piper and Amber?" 

Everett reached into his bag and grabbed his Phillies hat, setting it on his head backwards just like Bradley. With a high five, he was off, running for the outfield toward Bob. And Bradley was standing up and getting a view of you struggling through the grass with your heels on, with a scowling Danny beside you. 

When your eyes met Bradley's, he watched a hesitant smile meet your lips. You shouldn't be hesitating with him. Your pretty face shouldn't look like you were on the verge of tears yourself. Danny looked taller than him, but Bradley felt the almost uncontrollable urge to knock him to the ground. And he was afraid he would do it if you or Ev did start crying. 

"I don't have time for this shit. You know that," Danny was telling you, practically yelling although he was right next to you. 

Bradley watched you take a deep breath and stop walking. "Danny. He's your child, too. He only sees you a handful of times a year. He loves baseball, and he's doing really well. I thought you could take like two hours out of your schedule to see him practice."

Danny shook his head at you. "I work all the time. You know that!"

Your hands turned to fists at your sides. "You work all the time?" you hissed. "Smoking pot and having sex with twenty year olds while you wait for artistic inspiration to strike is not the same thing as working! When was the last time you sold a painting? When was the last time you paid child support?"

Bradley felt his blood boiling. He knew he was staring and eavesdropping, but he didn't give a shit. And if Danny gave him a hard time, he wouldn't back down. 

Danny leaned toward you and got in your face. "You've always been like this. You don't appreciate the process. You act so fucking high and mighty, and then you can't understand why I don't want to be around the two of you."

"You don't need to spend time with me! I'm asking you to spend time with him!" you replied, turning back toward the ballfield where Everett was running the bases and laughing. 

Bradley was done watching this shit. He rolled his shoulders and made his way toward you. There were tears in your eyes now, and he was probably going to level your ex husband right in front of all of the other team parents and players who were getting ready for practice to begin. 

"Hi, Coach," you muttered when he got closer. 

"Kitten," he replied, loud enough for Danny to hear. "And you must be Everett's father." He reached out his hand and shook Danny's, making it clear with his eyes that he expected Danny to shape up his act. "I'm Bradley. One of the coaches."

"Fantastic," he replied sarcastically. 

Then Bradley focused all of his attention back on you. "Everything okay, Kitten?"

You nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah."

-----------------------

As soon as Bradley turned toward the ballfield to get the practice session started, Danny was all over you. 

"So you're fucking your kid's coach? That's a good one. Classy."

You knew Bradley could hear him by the way his shoulders stiffened and how his steps slowed. Part of you wished he would keep walking, and part of you wanted him to come back and wrap his arms around you.

But you rounded on Danny, because he wasn't your husband any longer. "First of all, Everett is your kid too, and second, that's none of your business. And third, do you really think you should even mention that shit after the way you cheated on me?" 

He was getting you riled up. He loved doing this. He would use this against you later, you knew he would. But you couldn't help yourself. 

"I sincerely hope you don't invite random men like this tee ball coach over for the night when Everett is around," Danny said in the most condescending voice. 

You sucked in a deep breath. "For once, just one time, I would like you to initiate spending some time with Everett. That's all I am asking for. Just a few hours. He deserves your attention."

Danny's response of, "I'll see what I can do," made you want to scream and throw your shoes at him. But instead, you just gingerly made your way to the bleachers, and he trailed behind you before sitting silently next to you. He took out his phone and never watched Everett at all. So you cheered twice as loud as you normally would while silently tamping down your rage. You couldn't even focus on the ridiculous things Sandra and Tara were saying behind you, because you knew if you took your eyes off of Everett and Bradley for a second, you'd start to cry. There was no way you'd let Danny have the satisfaction of knowing he could still do that to you.

When practice ended, Everett looked hesitant to come over to the bleachers. You nudged Danny with your foot, and he finally looked up with only mild interest. 

"Great job, sweetie!" you told Everett, collecting him in your arms as he came closer. "You were awesome!" But Everett still looked like he was about to burst into tears with Danny around.

"Nice job," Danny said with a plastic smile. "I need to run, but we'll set up another time to see each other, okay?" He patted Everett on the head and then turned to leave without another word. 

You weren't sure why you did this every few months. Part of you thought you'd be better off petitioning for full custody and leaving Danny out of your lives for good. But the other, softer part of you wanted Everett to have some sort of relationship with his father. 

And then Bradley was standing behind Everett, gently patting his shoulders and looking at you. "Ev was doing a great job batting today. I think he could handle some real pitches soon. Maybe even the batting cages," he told you, and you watched your son's face break out into a smile. 

"Really?" Everett asked Bradley, turning to look up at him.

"Oh yeah, kiddo. Definitely," he replied with a smile. 

You swiped away at the tears that still seemed to be lingering in your eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Ev. We can go to the batting cages one day."

"We can all go," Bradley said, but it just made you want to cry more. You weren't in a relationship with him. You weren't even technically sleeping with him. But he treated Ev with so much more care and respect that Danny did. And he was good to you as well.

You knelt to help Everett change his shoes, and you were so happy to hear him asking Bradley a million questions again. As Bradley walked you both up to your car, he started teaching Everett about baseball stats, and you got your phone out to text Molly. You wanted to make sure she could still make it to practice on Thursday, but you decided to also let her know that Danny came to practice at the last minute today.

Molly: You've got to be shitting me. He really showed up? Was he a dick? Of course I'll be there on Thursday. I've got to ask Coach Cute Glasses for his number. 

You snorted and tucked your phone away as Bradley helped Everett into the back of your car. "See you on Thursday, Coach!" Everett said, giving him a high five as he started to buckle himself in.

"Can I tell him about pizza?" Bradley asked you softly, and when you nodded, he draped one arm along the top of your car and leaned inside the door.

"How about we go out for pizza after practice on Thursday? Maybe with Coach Bob and your Aunt Molly too?"

"Really?" Everett asked, and you wouldn't know he'd been crying earlier. 

"Yeah, my treat. It'll be fun," Bradley said, closing the door and focusing his attention on you. 

You opened your mouth to argue with him right away. "Pizza will not be your treat! You bought me a one hundred dollar bottle of champagne!"

"Kitten, Bob and I will split the cost of the pizza. We need to make him look good in front of Molly, okay? Don't argue. Also, your ex husband is a fucking dick."

He backed you up against your car door with his hands at your waist and a concerned look on his face. "Yeah. I know."

"He made Everett cry," Bradley whispered. "Actual tears."

Your heart was pounding as you nodded up at him. "Thanks for making things better." Then his lips were on yours, and your palms came to rest on his chest. His kisses were soft, and he was pulling away from you almost immediately.  

"Oh, Kitten. I don't want to see that kid cry ever again."

You were practically whimpering at his words, but you held it together. "Thursday will be better, Coach. Pizza with Molly and Bob," you said, lacing your fingers through his. "And maybe this weekend we can try to spend a little time together? Just me and you?" 

"Oh, fuck," Bradley growled, his head tipping back. Then he was looking at you again, but his expression was far less pleased now. "I have to go to Lemoore for a few days. I'm leaving on Saturday morning."

"You'll miss the game this weekend?" 

He nodded. "I'm not sure when I'll be back. But we can talk on the phone at night?"

You laughed softly. "Is that what a deployment is like?"

Bradley kissed your cheek and your ear. "Oh, shit, Kitten. No way. A deployment would be so much worse. Hardly any communication at all."

You pondered that for a moment. "You mean we would just have to miss you without even getting to talk to you? Because that would probably make Ev cry, too."

He cupped your cheek with his big palm and tipped your face up to look at him. "But I would spend the rest of the time when I'm back in San Diego and not deployed making it up to him. And you."

You nodded and kissed him. "I believe you, Coach."

----------------------

Bradley thought a lot about you while he flew all week. He wanted to have the chance to really be with you, but going to Lemoore was making things difficult for him now. He was aching for the chance to spend a night with you. There was no way he would have passed up that opportunity with you for any other plans. 

On Thursday, he was waiting to fly with Bob and Nat in the hangar. When Nat set her water bottle down to fix her boots, Bradley picked it up and finished her drink. "You need to stop that!" she complained when she saw what he had done. "And you need to tell me what's going on with your hot mama."

Bradley tipped his chin at Bob. "Ask him what his dinner plans are for tonight."

Nat turned toward Bob with a smirk. "You're dating a mom, too?"

Bob's flushed cheeks as he shook his head and sputtered. "N-No, not a mom. Everett's aunt."

It took Nat a second to piece it all together, but when she did, she started laughing. "You're interested in sisters?"

Bradley shared a look with Bob, and then the three of them were cracking up together. "This is too much for me to handle," Nat said, tossing her water bottle in the trash and heading to the tarmac. Then she spun around and excitedly asked, "Wait. Is there a third sister?"

"Just the two," Bradley confirmed with a grin.

"Damn it."

When Bradley was eventually showering before leaving for practice, he thought about the special treat he had tossed into his bag for Everett. It seemed really stupid now, but he couldn't get over the way Everett had been so upset on Monday. 

And Bradley fucking hated Danny. Everett was his child! What the fuck? How could you do that to your own child? And you were so strong, it was baffling to Bradley. You invited Danny to practice even though you knew he was horrible, but you still managed to stand up for yourself and your son. Bradley was absolutely hooked. He wondered if he could ever be good enough for you to be willing to stand up for him that way too. 

He had so many conflicting emotions as he hopped in the Bronco and headed for the ballfield. 

---------------------

Molly parked right next to you, and she hopped out of her car to scoop Everett into a big hug. "I heard we're going out for pizza tonight!" she cheered, kissing him all over his face while he laughed. "I love pizza!"

"Me too!" he cheered, and Molly sent him toward the bleachers while you and she followed behind him. You hopped out of your high heels and slipped your sneakers on while she helped you walk. 

"Oh. There he is," Molly whispered with a grin. "Shit, do I like glasses now? Or just tall, sexy men?"

You watched Bob interacting with some of the kids, and you couldn't help but smile too. "I think Bob is actually taller and sexier than Casey was. And the glasses are like a cute little cherry on top."

"Are you checking out Bob?" Bradley asked when you reached the bleachers.

"Mmhmm," you and Molly both hummed in unison. 

Bradley kissed your cheek right in front of everyone, and then he took your hand as he told Molly, "Bob's not just a pretty face. He also has a master's degree in aeronautics, volunteers at the library, comes to a full stop at stop signs, and he never litters."

"Sounds made up," Molly said with a smirk. "I'll be the judge of things."

You and she sat side by side and watched Everett practice. It wasn't long before she started asking you about Danny. This didn't surprise you, but he wasn't high on your list of things you wanted to talk about. But you did admit, "He made Ev cry. I was almost in tears, too."

Molly kissed your temple and laced her fingers through yours. "He's horrible. Just take him to court and get full custody. I can help you pay for another lawyer, since I know you're not getting any child support."

"I don't need money," you promised, your eyes tracking Everett as he hit the ball and ran past Bradley who was cheering him on. "You know all those people who claim you can save a bunch of money by just making your own coffee at home? Turns out those bastards are right."

Molly didn't laugh, but she also didn't press you for more information. She just held your hand until practice ended. 

"My god... is he sweating? I think he's sweating," she whispered, and you realized she was watching Bob take off his glasses and wipe his face with a towel. "Do you think he would get upset if I licked his face?"

"Molly!" you said, cracking up. 

But now Bob was looking at her with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, and she was just grinning back at him. 

"You need to behave at dinner," you muttered as Everett ran over and climbed on Molly's lap to get his shoes changed. 

You watched Bradley and Bob pack up all of the practice equipment and head your way. Bob cleared his throat twice before he managed to say, "Hi, Molly." And when your sister smiled up at him and greeted him by name, even you could feel butterflies in your tummy.

"Pizza time?" Bradley asked the group while Everett scrambled up onto his shoulders, knocking his hat off. When you caught it and set it on your own head, Bradley mumbled, "Looks cute, Kitten."

By the time you got to your car, Everett was laughing with Bradley, and Molly was smiling at Bob. You watched Bob climb into Molly's car as she told you, "Meet you there!" And then you turned to find Everett sitting on the tailgate of Bradley's Bronco.

"I have something for you, kiddo. It's not new, okay? He looks like he's seen better days, but he's still a good luck charm," Bradley was telling Everett while digging in his bag. When he pulled out a well worn stuffed Phillie Phanatic with slightly matted green fur and handed it to Everett, your heart skipped along erratically. 

Everett held it gently with both hands. "It's the Phanatic! Can I keep him?"

"Yeah, kiddo. He's all yours," Bradley told him, leaning on the tailgate as well. 

Everett hugged Bradley around the neck, and you felt so much love for this man. How was he already treating your kid this well?

"It's just a shame the real Phanatic is only at Phillies home games," Bradley said with a grin. "You've got to get your mom to take you to Philadelphia."

Suddenly two pairs of eyes were on you, but you were already shaking your head. "Maybe next year, Ev! Now hop in your seat so we can go get dinner."

Bradley wrapped you up in his arms, and you whispered, "Did you just give my son your very own stuffed animal?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice raspy and playful. "He got me through some hard times, just thought I'd pass him along. I can always come over and visit him at your house if I miss him too much, right Kitten?"

You looked up into his brown eyes in awe and ran your fingers along his mustache. "I just want you to know that if we were alone right now, I would be more than happy to help you through a hard time."

A smile spread across his handsome face. "Tell me more about that."

You bit your lip and ran your fingers down the front of his shirt. "It's just that, Kittens really know how to use their tongue."

Bradley groaned your name loudly, and you giggled when he grabbed your butt and pressed himself against you. "I need to get you alone," he whispered, and you kissed him hard, tasting his tongue and wiggling against him. 

Then you pulled out of his grasp, leaving him reaching for you as you backed away saying, "I think it's time for pizza."

--------------------------

I hate Danny. Also, Coach and the stuffed Phanatic!! If you don't know what the Phanatic looks like, Google him and laugh! Thanks to @beyondthesefourwalls and @mak-32!

PART 11

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[unwhitewashthebadbatch]

Disney Email Draft 2

(going under a cut because it's much longer. Here is the Google Doc link for anyone who would like to comment directly)

Reminder that we are encouraging critiques and comments regarding this email!

To Bob Iger, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, Jennifer Corbett, and the creative team of Star Wars: The Bad Batch:

We hope this email finds you all well. We are fans of color, disabled fans, neurodivergent fans, and Jewish fans writing out of concern for the portrayal of our communities in the Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. For several months now, we have been campaigning on social media to spread awareness about these concerns through #UnwhitewashTBB, a movement we began to raise awareness about the ways in which the series has poorly represented several minoritized groups of people.

Just like the creators of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, all of the creators of #UnwhitewashTBB grew up with Star Wars as the backbones of their childhoods, and for many of us, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was crucial to our development as artists, writers, creators, and lifelong Star Wars fans. We are all firm believers in the phrase “Star Wars is for everyone”, and we would like to see Disney support that message by hearing our plea.

As fans of color, as disabled fans, as neurodivergent fans, and as Jewish fans, we’ve seen ourselves on screen in both good and bad ways, but recently it has been more the latter than the former. One such reason is Star Wars: The Bad Batch, a show whose premise piqued many fans’ interest, but whose main cast has left an increasingly sour taste in the mouths of those who watched.

The series follows an elite squad of clone troopers who have named themselves The Bad Batch, due in part to their series of mutations that gives them an edge over regular clones on the battlefield. These mutations drastically altered the appearance of each of the members to a generally lighter, more Caucasian appearance--one that is inconsistent with how the original Jango Fett actor Temuera Morisson looks. Fans take issue with the implications in the writing and design of The Bad Batch: that in order to be elite, special, and better than one’s contemporaries--in order to have a story worth telling--one must also be white or as close as possible.

Merriam-Webster defines whitewashing as “to alter (something) in a way that favors, features, or caters to white people: such as to alter (an original story) by casting a white performer in a role based on a nonwhite person or fictional character” The #UnwhitewashTBB movement comes with two carrds explaining the grievances of the fans. A summary for each character is given below:

Sergeant Hunter, the leader, closely resembles Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo character, despite being a clone of a man of color. The importance of his character, the fatherliness he has with Omega, and his centrality to both their Season 7 appearance in The Clone Wars and the series itself sends the message that important people look

Wrecker is the demolitions expert, and he’s the only member of The Bad Batch with features similar to that of a Maori man’s, like Temuera Morrison/Jango Fett. He’s large with broad features, brown skin, and is a stereotype of men of color. His personality as first introduced to the audience was that of a loud, aggressive, impatient, slow man who called frequently for violence/destruction. He falls into the “Loveable Brute” trope, an observation that is supported by statements from supervising director Brad Rau and voice actor Dee Bradely Baker that Wrecker is like a little boy and has a heart of gold.

Crosshair is the sniper on the team, and he’s the most derisive of the “regs”--the regular clone troopers. Taken in conjunction with his appearance (inspired by Clint Eastwood), the various messages being sent by the writing and appearance of the other team members, and his comment about the regular troopers--the he and the Batch are superior and thus should join the Empire--his character pushes forth a message that there is superiority inherent in whitened or fully white features.

Tech, the technology specialist, has incredibly light skin and hair compared to the regular clones. His mutation made him a genius, with an IQ that outpaces that of any other clone in the Republic. Fans of color are upset that Tech’s genius mutation apparently also affected his skin color, as now this creates a direct link between intelligence and appearance/race. Contrast Tech with Wrecker, who is the exact opposite in every way, and this harm becomes only more apparent. In addition to this, many Autistic fans of The Bad Batch have noted that Tech, being “on the spectrum” (according to Dee Bradley Baker) is a popular stereotype of Autistic people: a nerdy-looking white man with a formal way of speaking who’s a genius but dismissive of others’ feelings. Baker also plays Tech with a British accent, further cementing the harmful message that intelligence is in some way connected to ethnicity.

Omega is the newest member of The Bad Batch. Despite being a pure Jango clone, she’s come out looking nothing like Boba Fett--she has lighter skin than he does, as well as blonde hair. Fans are concerned about the connection between genetic purity and light skin/blonde hair, as this is directly harmful to the people of color who don’t sport those features.

Echo is the ARC Trooper of the team, but many fans--disabled fans especially--fear that his series of disabilities have reduced him to the “droid sidekick”. Echo does not have a prosthetic, instead sporting a scomp-arm attachment that allows him to plug into computers but would otherwise hinder him greatly in daily tasks. He rarely is the focus of an episode, and the series has not given him as much attention as it has given characters like Hunter and Omega. Disabled fans worry about the lack of attention given to his medical trauma, and fans of color note that his skin color goes beyond what a brown man who’s been without sunlight for a few months would look like.

The issues do not stop here. Asian fans noticed and were harmed by a Tiananmen Square parallel in 1x10, “Common Ground”--a recreation that was led by an Eastern Asian-coded woman. Jewish fans are hurt by the antisemitic stereotype in Cid the broker, a greedy lizard woman who speaks with an accent commonly associated with New York Jews--and who is played by Jewish actress Rhea Perlman. Black fans were harmed by the whitewashing in Saw Gererra and the one other Black character in The Bad Batch being a Black woman who works for the Empire and burns civilians alive.

The full analyses can be found in the official #UnwhitewashTBB carrd: unwhitewashthebadbatch.carrd.co. We respectfully ask that you read this carrd and give a public statement in response to these criticisms.

Our movement has only gained traction since its inception on March 30th, 2021. A few months later, we wrote and released an open letter on Change.org to be signed by supporters of #UnwhitewashTBB, and every day it gains new signatures and draws nearer to the next milestone. A survey we released over a month ago has received over 1,100 responses and also continues to climb. The latter displays a range of opinions regarding The Bad Batch, but one sentiment stands out: Hunter, Crosshair, Tech, Wrecker, Omega, and Echo are written in stereotypical and actively harmful ways. Respondents were shocked at outdated portrayals of Autism, sickened by antisemitic stereotypes, and confused at how, in this current social and political climate, a family-friendly corporation like Disney could greenlight a series that sends a message that is the complete opposite of “Star Wars is for Everyone”. Some sample responses are below:

“I would just like to elaborate on the ableism aspect. As a amputee myself, I don’t like how Echo’s trauma has been ignored. The whole reason he is with the BB is because of what he went through. Losing one limb, never mind multiple, it’s extremely difficult. They made it seem like just because his prosthetic can be of use on missions, that means he isn’t grieving the loss of his actual hand. There is no healing or evolution. It also feels wrong to only address the fact that echo uses prosthetics for the sake of hacking into machinery. Prosthetics are so personal and become a real part of who you are as a person.” - Respondent 130

“...I can't believe Star Wars is still doing this, and that an entire team of animators with a huge budget can't get skin tone right. I didn't even know the clones were supposed to have a NZ Māori accent until a friend told me. That's a big deal, since I live in NZ and hear it every day…” - Respondent 209

“As someone who is neurodivergent myself, Tech and Wrecker just. sting, you know? in a “is that really what you think of us” kind of way. I grew up in an environment where intersectional equality was heavily discussed, and I can still miss things. Having Jewish friends does not mean that Cid’s antisemitic implications can’t go right over my head until someone points them out (thank you).” - Respondent 87

“As a fan of color, its irritating and painful to watch and be brushed off as "lighting issues" and see justifications made by white fans and producers...It also feels very bad to me that TCW spent 7 seasons with several arcs emphasizing that the clones were all as individual as a 'normal' person, but then undo all that with TBB, which centers a group of "special" clones (who are suspiciously white) and have them treat the "regs" as a homogeneous group who are lesser than them, and then expect us to find it within ourselves to put that aside to enjoy the MCs. The way the treat "regs" is very offputting and it made me dislike them since their introduction...Star Wars is no stranger to racist and antisemitic media, but I must say, the blantancy of Sid, a greedy lizard who essentially financially enslaves the protaganists, being Jewish-coded and being protrayed by a Jewish voice actress is really next-level even for Star Wars. As a Jewish fan, it really grates on me.” - Respondent 40

“I’m disabled and autistic, and the ableism is appalling to watch. Watching Echo be treated as subhuman for needing machinery to survive makes me feel like having implants to keep my spine from breaking itself would have me be the pitied member of any group. I am disgusted by the blatant antisemitism, as a fair number of my friends are Jewish and it hurts me to think that people can so easily hate others based on internalized stereotypes. Me and my friends have also critically analyzed the fact that, despite being clones of a character portrayed by Temuera Morrison, for some reason the bad batch look nothing like him in any way. No resemblance in any way: just a bunch of someone’s badly worked characters fraught with disgusting writing decisions and design choices that make no sense. It makes me angry to think that the writers for this show, and to an extent any modern writer, would believe that using harmful tropes to make a story is acceptable and someone brings in profit. I tried to watch it out of fact that my family likes Star Wars and we all grew up watching it, but all of these unhealthy assumptions and terrible choices in terms of writing and design leave a bitter and nauseating feeling.” - Respondent 605

In the survey, various questions were asked about fans’ feelings about The Bad Batch. Before reading the carrd, 34.7% of fans answered that writing was their least favorite aspect of the series, with the next being the main characters. Elaborations in the following free write made clear that the whitewashing and stereotypical writing were huge factors of these opinions. One a 1 to 5 satisfaction scale, 68.1% of respondents rated their satisfaction at a 3 or lower--again, due to the whitewashing and other issues respondents perceived in The Bad Batch. When asked to analyze pre-post carrd-reading feelings regarding the above issues, every category saw a marked increase in awareness of the issue at hand. The perceived prominence of the whitewashing went from 81.3% to 91.4% in respondents. The awareness of ableism jumped almost 30%, from 52.6% to 84.4%. The majority of respondents (59%) were not aware of the antisemitism in the series, but after reading the carrd, that statistic flipped to 80.5%, a near 60% increase from the original 26.7%. Regarding the other racist issues, the respondents went from 63.1% to 83.7%.

Fans of color, neurodivergent fans, disabled fans, and Jewish fans have been waiting for the day where we can see ourselves on screen a level of attention and care that makes us feel even more at home in the Star Wars community . If Disney’s message is truly family-friendly, if Star Wars is for everyone, then Disney needs to support these views with not just words, but with actions. Resolve the racism in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, take out the antisemitism, and treat your nonwhite, disabled, and neurodivergent characters--and fans--with the respect and dignity they deserve.

This will not be a benefit solely to the fans who are asking to be represented properly. In today’s time, popular media is facing a reckoning; media that is inclusive of and respectful towards minoritized groups ends up with leagues more popularity, high ratings, and good reviews than those that don’t. A recent and prominent example is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a movie for which the inclusion of Asian-Americans at nearly all levels of production boosted its image and aided in its successful box office release. Black Panther is another prominent example--a movie spearheaded by Black people that completed its box office run at more than five times its initial budget in total revenue. The proper representation of people of color is a two-fold benefit.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch already has beautiful animation that reminds many longtime Star Wars: The Clone Wars fans of their childhood.

It is our hope that you will take our concerns as well as the concerns of others into account, and address the issues that we have outlined in order to better reflect the Walt Disney Company’s commitment to inclusive, diverse entertainment for audiences of all ages. Thank you for your attention to this issue.

Respectfully,

Fans of The Bad Batch