A glamour model claims she was targeted with vile death threats after she revealed her boyfriend didn’t believe she was real – because of her stunning looks.
Larissa Bartolo, from the Gold Coast, sent social media into meltdown last week after revealing her beau of three years thought she was fake when they first met online.
The 28-year-old Playboy bunny and actress said partner Jesse accused her of being a catfish when they struck up a chat on her modelling Facebook account in 2014.
Larissa Bartolo, from the Gold Coast, claims she was targeted with vile death threats after she revealed her boyfriend didn’t believe she was real – because of her stunning looks
The 28-year-old Playboy bunny and actress said partner Jesse accused her of being a catfish when they struck up a chat on her modelling Facebook account in 2014 (pictured together)
Larissa, who starred in the Inbetweeners 2 movie which was set in Australia, said since she revealed their relationship’s unusual start she fell victim to a wave of vitriolic online abuse – including death threats and even calls for her to take her own life.
‘It was total uproar. There has been so much online bullying, people picking apart my appearance, calling me a “wh***” and death threats,’ she said.
‘Some people were saying “you should kill yourself” or “hope you die”. It was horrible. After a certain amount of abuse, you start to question yourself, I hardly slept afterwards.
‘I have dealt with bullying when I was younger, but obviously this is on another scale.’
Larissa, who starred in the Inbetweeners 2 movie which was set in Australia, said since she revealed their relationship’s unusual start she fell victim to a wave of vitriolic online abuse
Larissa and personal trainer Jesse, who also lives on the Gold Coast, first began chatting online in 2014 when she was working in London and he was in Australia
After several months of chatting online the cyber-romance blossomed into the real world – with the pair still going strong after three years
Larissa and personal trainer Jesse, who also lives on the Gold Coast, first began chatting online in 2014 when she was working in London and he was in Australia.
The model said when Jesse first messaged her – saying ‘you’re gorgeous, I wouldn’t think you were real’ – she told him the same thing.
And after several months of chatting online the cyber-romance blossomed into the real world – with the pair still going strong after three years.
Larissa said some of her online tormentors stayed under the veil of anonymous accounts, but others made no effort to hide their identity.
The model said when Jesse first messaged her – saying ‘you’re gorgeous, I wouldn’t think you were real’ – she told him the same thing
After revealing their relationship’s unusual start she fell victim to a wave of vitriolic online abuse – including death threats and even calls for her to take her own life
Despite her high-profile online following, Larissa describes herself as a ‘private person’ and said there is more than meets the eye when it comes to social media
‘When Jesse first messaged me I just laughed it off. He is a looker as well, so I told him I would have thought the same thing. There are so many internet trolls,’ she said.
‘Some of the people who left these comments were genuine people, grandfathers and grandmothers. I wondered if they would say that to their kids or grandkids?
‘I never thought I was better than anyone.’
Despite her high-profile online following, Larissa describes herself as a ‘private person’ and said there is more than meets the eye when it comes to social media.
‘There’s more to life than social media. I like to promote honesty and that lots of modelling photos are airbrushed to cover imperfections,’ Larissa added.