Anna Diop Said She Received Racist Instagram Comments About Her "Titans" Character
A premiere date for the newest series to join the DC Comics universe hasn't even been set yet, but one of its stars has already had to contend with online racism.
As reported by UPROXX, Anna Diop, who has been cast in the upcoming television series Titans, has turned off comments on her Instagram after users posted a number of racist remarks.
The online hate came just days after the trailer for Titans premiered at Comic Con. The series is expected to debut later this year on a new streaming service from DC, and Anna has been cast in the role of Koriand’r aka Starfire, Yahoo reported.
Prior to the trailer's premiere, a photo of Anna Diop as her character had apparently leaked online. Some fans of the show saw the photo and flocked to the star's Instagram page to leave bigoted comments. She then addressed the hate in a now deleted Instagram post, UPROXX reported. In her response, Anna called the leaked photo "unfortunate,"saying, "fans have been waiting MONTHS for a photo of ‘Starfire’ and a sloppy photo of me on a curb in 15 degree weather is what they got instead. For the sake of our incredible fans — I hated that this is the first picture people are seeing. It’s out of context and it’s a misrepresentation of the incredible character I get to play. And also a misrepresentation of the phenomenal production behind it all."
Her remarks continued, with Anna going on to address the "deplorable" interactions occurring on her Instagram account. "I do want to use this as an opportunity to say that tearing people down is not something that I tolerate," she wrote. "For myself or anyone else. Too often social media is abused by some who find refuge in the anonymity and detachment it provides: misused as a tool to harass, abuse, and spew hatred at others."
She added, "This is weak, sad, and a direct reflection of the abuser. Racist, derogatory, and/or cruel comments have nothing to do with the person on the receiving end of that abuse. And because I know this – I’m unfazed. But for anyone out there who may not – I am here to remind you that whatever ugly and negative thing anyone ever chooses to say about you is always a reflection and revelation of themselves- it does NOT define you, and it certainly does NOT make you any less perfect than you are – Be you! Stay beautiful!"
Sadly, this is far from the first time that actors of color have had to contend with racism and bullying on social media. Back in June, Kelly Marie Tran deleted every Instagram post on her page after she received continuous online harassment for her role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. And nearly two years ago, Leslie Jones of Saturday Night Live was also the target of racist online comments regarding her role in Ghostbusters.
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