Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones ‘in tears’ over racist Twitter trolls

The actress exposed abusive users who have inundated her with offensive tweets
'Personal hell': Leslie Jones has been targeted online
AFP/Getty Images
Emma Powell19 July 2016
The Weekender

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US actress Leslie Jones has been left “in tears” after she was subjected to racist abuse by online trolls following the release of Ghostbusters.

Jones, 48, called for Twitter to clamp down on abusive users after she was compared to Harambe the gorilla and had an offensive fake account set up in her name.

The actress called out abusive users after she was inundated with a string of racist comments and pictures, which she said has left her “numb”.

Jones posted: “Twitter I understand you got free speech I get it. But there has to be some guidelines when you let spread like that. You can see on the profiles that some of these people are crazy sick. It's not enough to freeze Acct. They should be reported (sic).”

The actress encouraged her followers to speak out against the hate and criticised those who told her to “ignore” nasty comments.

She tweeted: “Stop saying ignore them or that's just the way it is. Cause that's b*******. Everybody knows an a**hole check them for their hate.

“Stop letting people get away with being ignorant. You stupid people to shut up. Tell them to shut up real talk. Say something.

“I'm tired of everybody not believing they can change something. We are the people we can change anything if we want. We stop eating spinach cause we thought it was hurting us. You mean to tell me we can't stop hate. I don't believe that. I just am sadden today.”

Jones – who stars alongside Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig in the Ghostbusters reboot – said she has been living in “hell” following the “evil” comments she has been subjected to.

Signing out of Twitter she posted: “I feel like I'm in a personal hell. I didn't do anything to deserve this. It's just too much. It shouldn't be like this. So hurt right now.

“I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart. All this cause I did a movie. You can hate the movie but the s*** I got today...wrong.”

Ghostbusters director Paul Feig defended Jones and pleaded with her not to quit Twitter. He posted: "Leslie Jones is one of the greatest people I know. Any personal attacks against her are attacks against us all. #LoveForLeslieJ."

Graham Norton: the Ghostbusters cast and Charlie Sheen (June 17)

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He continued: "Don't leave us, @Lesdoggg. You are a goddess & one of the warmest funniest forces of nature I know. F*** the haters."

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