NEW YORK (AP) – The dark side of “Star Wars” fandom has recently reared its head when Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who plays Rose in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” was run off Instagram by misogynistic and racist messages from fans who didn’t like her character in the movie.
Such toxic exchanges have long been a staple of darker social-media realms, fan-group message boards and comments pages. But the abuse heaped on Tran sparked a backlash of its own.
Affectionate fan art of Tran’s character began circling widely on Twitter. “The Last Jedi” writer-director Rian Johnson forcefully came to his actress’ defense, calling her critics “manbabies.” Mark Hamill says the critics need to get a life.
FILE – In this Sunday, March 4, 2018 file photo,Kelly Marie Tran arrives at the Oscars, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The dark side of “Star Wars” fandom recently reared its head when Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who plays Rose in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” was run off Instagram by misogynistic and racist messages from fans who didn’t like her character in the movie. Such toxic exchanges have long been a staple of darker social-media realms, fan-group message boards and comments pages. But the abuse heaped on Tran sparked a backlash of its own. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
Advertisement
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.