The Last of Us 's Bella Ramsey, Storm Reid Dismiss Homophobic Backlash to Queer Love Story: Just 'Don't Watch'

Liane Hentscher/HBO

Storm Reid has a simple solution for viewers who don't want to see a same-sex love story on screen.

Loosely quoting her The Last of Us counterpart, Bella Ramsey, to Variety, Reid said, "I think Bella put it perfectly a couple of weeks ago: 'If you don't like it, don't watch.'"

Ramsey first relayed the sentiment to GQ after The Last of Us aired its emotional third episode. "If you don't want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that's on you, and you're missing out."

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The show introduced another same-sex romance in its seventh episode on Sunday night — only to receive another wave of criticism.

"There's so many other things to worry about in the world. I think being concerned about who people love is just absurd to me," said Reid, 19. "I just don't — I will never understand it."

Added the Euphoria actress: "A lot more people that feel represented and seen and heard. So that's what matters. That's where the work comes in. And that's when it's appreciated, and you prioritize looking at those tweets rather than the ones that aren't the best."

Liane Hentscher/HBO

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Reid's character, Riley, was introduced during a flashback that recounted what happened when Ellie (Ramsey) learned she was immune to the apocalyptic fungal infection. A friendship–turned–love story unfolded between Riley and Ellie, and heartbreak took over when the pair were attacked during an otherwise sweet moment.

Ramsey, 19, expanded on the slow-burn connection to Variety. "I guess when you become a character, you feel what they're feeling anyway. The awkwardness of that, and the heartbeat beating faster," she said. "I could sort of feel myself when we were filming it: My heart would beat faster and my palms got sweaty, because we were so very much immersed in what we were doing. It becomes real between action and cut."

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The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.