Daisy Ridley Closes Instagram Account After Reaction To Statement Against Gun Violence
Has Daisy Ridley joined the dubiously distinct club of celebrities driven off social media by an angry digital mob? It’s not entirely clear, but it would certainly appear so after the Star Wars: The Force Awakens star closed her Instagram account. Ridley deleted the account following a reported torrent of out-of-proportion outrage this week after Sunday’s Teen Choice awards, when she posted a message in support of an anti-gun violence presentation mid-way through the ceremony.
“Thinking about how lucky I am like……… Serious bit: as I sat in the audience yesterday [Teen Choice Awards] tears were streaming down my face at the tribute to those that have been lost to gun violence,” she said in a post to her Instagram that was reposted to her Facebook account. “I didn’t get a great picture of the incredible group that came onstage but they were so brave. It was a true moment of togetherness. We must #stoptheviolence.”
As comments on tense and deeply controversial social issues go, Ridley’s statement is as vanilla as it gets. Even so, it’s being reported that comments on the post were overwhelmingly negative, insulting her for weighing in on the issue for reasons ranging from her nationality to the fact she has appeared in movies with (laser) guns. As the post has since been deleted, it’s no longer possible to verify the extent of the negativity, but what is known is that such comments continued for more than a day until August 2, when Ridley closed her Instagram without any announcement.
Despite deleting her Instagram account, Ridley left the post above on her Facebook page until earlier this afternoon before deleting it. However, neither Ridley nor her representatives issued any kind of statement about the closure of the account, and they have not responded to requests for comment from media. A post to a Twitter feed devoted to sharing news about the actress claims she has stopped social media activity in order to concentrate on a new project, though without attribution.
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