Kelly Marie Tran deleted her Instagram after months of harassment by Star Wars fans, and we’re heartbroken
Since her breakout role as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Kelly Marie Tran has been subjected to cruel and racist harassment from the worst of the franchise’s fans. While we should be celebrating that Tran is the first Star Wars lead actress of color, regressive and vocal trolls on the internet have done their best to ruin a beautiful thing. Tran joined Instagram in October 2017, a few months before the film’s release, and today, June 5th, 2018, she deleted all her Instagram posts.
According to Twitter account Star Wars Facts, she deleted her photos because of constant harassment. While Tran herself has not publicly explained why she decided to wipe her Instagram, the fact of the matter remains that the actress has been enduring online harassment since before the film’s December 2017 release.
At the time of the film’s release, someone edited the Rose Tico page on the Wookieepedia website with a completely racist update. Derogatory comments about her character once ruined the comments section of a birthday post on her Instagram, and now — after hearing the news that she left Instagram — toxic trolls are rejoicing on Twitter.
When the actress joined Instagram in 2017, she said she was already hesitant about joining a social media site that would make her vulnerable to harassment.
"Guys, can I tell you a secret? she shared in a now-deleted Instagram post (via Vox.com). “I avoided social media for a long time purely because I was afraid. I was terrified of being picked apart, of being scrutinized, of being seen.
When Tran first joined Instagram, we rejoiced, because her online presence was an adorable bright spot in an often nightmarish space. She shared photos of her goofy red carpet poses and her love of Disney merch, and we couldn’t get enough.
Luckily there are smart, kind, and good-hearted people of Twitter to counteract the hate.
Hi if you think Kelly Marie Tran / Rose Tico's presence in Star Wars changed the franchise for the better, please RT so we can drown out the manbabies. pic.twitter.com/Q95CGI4lcY
— suzie 🥀 (@suzannesamin) June 5, 2018
I lost the post but someone suggested we fill our feeds with fanart of Rose Tico to show Kelly Marie Tran some love. I heartily agree! I’ll be doing some Rose sketching today even if it kills me.
— mingjue helen chen (@MingjueChen) June 5, 2018
We love and support you, Kelly. For every toxic troll, there are dozens upon dozens of fans who support your work and your glorious Instagram presence.
