December 12, 2019 | 12:07pm
John Boyega has apologized for comments he made about social media bullying, which many people theorized were alluding to his co-star Kelly Marie Tran, who was forced to quit social media after online abuse.
“Being in this position, you just understand the masses, how the masses think, you know. Through social media, we get to engage, we get to have fun,” Boyega said in a Dec. 11 interview with Variety. “But at the same time, for those who are not mentally strong, you are weak to believe in every single thing that you read. That’s, you know, it is what it is.”
The “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” actor continued, “I don’t know, for me anyway, when I see that [backlash], I’m like, well, that’s actually not true. But no, it is actually not true. So it’s kind of like [shrugs] it is what it is. But to engage, to connect with the fans who otherwise wouldn’t get a day-to-day experience, especially during things like the press tour, and behind-the-scenes stuff, is always good.”
After many felt he was throwing shade at Tran, Boyega took to Twitter to clarify his comments.
“In no way was I referring to Kelly when I made my comments although the interviewer mentioned her given the topic. I was really speaking from my own perspective throughout this franchise,” Boyega, 27, tweeted. “Sometimes I’ve felt strong and sometimes I’ve felt weak. Badly worded though. I apologize.”
He added, “My comments on Kelly specifically and online harassment remains the same via a tweet I put out a few years ago.”
In 2018, Boyega urged the “Star Wars” fan base to leave Tran, who joined the franchise as character Rose Tico, alone.
“If you don’t like Star Wars or the characters, understand that there are decision makers and harassing the actors/actresses will do nothing,” he tweeted. “You’re not entitled to politeness when your approach is rude. Even if you paid for a ticket!”
