“Unfortunately, I’m used to insults”
On Tuesday afternoon, “Ghostbusters” actress Leslie Jones left Twitter following a monstrous onslaught of racist, sexist and generally demeaning attacks from users, seemingly prompted by conservative journalist Milo Yiannopoulos.
Though the film and its all-female cast have been under fire for months since the announcement and subsequent trailer of the remake, Jones quickly became a scapegoat for criticism following the movie’s release on Friday. Yiannopoulos has been pinpointed as the propagator in the situation, having tweeted remarks referring to Jones as illiterate and comparing her to a man. Since the deluge of tweets pushed Jones to temporarily resign from Twitter, Yiannopolous’ account, @Nero, has been permanently suspended.
Jones took the hot seat on Thursday night’s episode of “Late Night with Seth Myers,” where she had the opportunity to address her Twitter trolls and the ongoing rumors following the dramatic episode.
She said, “What's scary about the whole thing is the insults didn't hurt me. Unfortunately, I'm used to insults, but what scared me was the injustice of a gang of people jumping against you for such a sick cause. It's so gross and mean and unnecessary.”
Jones goes on to describe how Twitter’s terms of service have not, historically, paralleled its action in controlling the abuse and cyberbullying that takes place on the platform every day. Specifically in comparison to Facebook’s quick action to reprimand users who violate its policies, Jones took a humorous approach to pointing out the problem: “[Twitter is] like my favorite restaurant: I love the food there. Three people just got shot in front of me. Y’all need to get some security!”
The 48-year-old actress thanked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for his support in curbing the situation by removing Yiannopoulos and some of the most egregious offenders. She also made a point to reassure fans that she did not leave Twitter, as she is now back in action for fans still standing by her side. Myers closed out the interview with a small compilation of “Ghostbusters” fans showing their support in the wake of the malicious attack. Watch the full interview below.
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