How Lili Reinhart Really Felt About Dark Betty In Riverdale

When the Archie Comics were first confirmed to be adapted for the CW, no one could anticipate exactly how outrageous the show would become. Some of the craziest things to happen in "Riverdale" vary from teen gang leaders to musicals every season. Archie (KJ Appa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Veronica (Camila Mendes), and Jughead (Cole Sprouse) have been through their share of traumas and plotlines that need to be seen to be believed. None can attest to this more than the actor who plays Riverdale's resident girl next door, Lili Reinhart. 

Betty has dealt with plenty of adversity, from serial killer genes to having a mother who joined a cult. Betty and Jughead even share a sibling, though fans still think their relationship stands above the rest on "Riverdale." But no one is likely to forget the plotline of Dark Betty. Since Season 1, Betty has demonstrated an affinity for darkness with her alter ego. This darkness is typically shown through lingerie and a black wig. For Reinhart, there was one reason why this plotline was especially memorable.

Dark Betty brought on many cringe-worthy moments. Betty's strip-tease to the tune of "Mad World" is one of the most uncomfortable moments of the character (via FilmDaily). Lili Reinhart is inclined to agree. "I think it kind of became a mockery of itself," Reinhart explained in an interview with Teen Vogue. "It was supposed to be this dark side of her that she wasn't able to express otherwise, and it just became this weird sexual thing that people didn't really understand."

Dark Betty ventured into being a cam girl and explored aspects of BDSM in the second season of the show, but the alter ego was phased out after Season 2, for the better (per Bustle). Dark Betty became a caricature, as Reinhart pointed out in the interview, and Betty's experimentation never became an integral plotline. The storyline was only used to be provocative. The black wig disappeared to a grateful Reinhart who found it extremely uncomfortable, telling People in 2018, "I hate that wig ... I never want to wear that wig again."

Betty continued to explore dark aspects of her character like her recent encounter with the Trash Bag Killer. But thankfully, the overly sexualized version of the character has been retired.