John Boyega has apologized for comments in a recent interview that many fans interpreted as an attack on how Kelly Marie Tran handled backlash after the release of 2017’s “The Last Jedi.”
The “Star Wars” actor took to Twitter on Thursday to clarify the remarks he made while speaking with Variety the day before, where he implied engaging in social media can be difficult for “those who are not mentally strong,” and said “you are weak to believe in every single thing that you read.”
Tran quit social media last year after months of harassment, as trolls slammed the casting of a person of color in the sci-fi series. Tran is the first Asian-American actress to have a leading role in the franchise. The landmark achievement, however, was met with racist and sexist commentary online, before the film even hit theaters in December 2017.
In no way was I referring to Kelly when I made my comments although the interviewer mentioned her given the topic. I was really speaking from my own perspective throughout this franchise. Sometimes I’ve felt strong and sometimes I’ve felt weak. Badly worded though. I apologize.
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) December 12, 2019
My comments on Kelly specifically and online harassment remains the same via a tweet I put out a few years ago.
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) December 12, 2019
“In no way was I referring to Kelly when I made my comments although the interviewer mentioned her given the topic,” Boyega began his Twitter apology. “I was really speaking from my own perspective throughout this franchise. Sometimes I’ve felt strong and sometimes I’ve felt weak. Badly worded though. I apologize.”
In a follow up posting, the British star said his feelings about her harrassment remain the same as when he tweeted in support of her at the time, which read, “If you don’t like Star Wars or the characters understand that there are decisions makers and harassing the actors/ actresses will do nothing. You’re not entitled to politeness when your approach is rude. Even if you paid for a ticket!”
At the time of the harassment, Tran wrote an op-ed for The New York Times explaining why she chose to leave social media, writing, “It wasn’t their words, it’s that I started to believe them. Their words seemed to confirm what growing up as a woman and a person of color already taught me: that I belonged in margins and spaces, valid only as a minor character in their lives and stories.”
Both Boyega and Tran will appear in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which hits theaters December 20.
If you don’t like Star Wars or the characters understand that there are decisions makers and harassing the actors/ actresses will do nothing. You’re not entitled to politeness when your approach is rude. Even if you paid for a ticket!
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) June 12, 2018
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