Controversy & Cyberbullying Has Celebrities Quitting Social Media
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Pete Davidson on Monday became the latest in a string of high-profile names to publicly announce that they were quitting social media. The "Saturday Night Live" comedian, who got engaged last month to singer Ariana Grande, left a note detailing his feelings.
"No there's nothing wrong," Davidson wrote. "No nothing happened. No there's nothing cryptic about anything. I just don't wanna be on Instagram anymore. Or on any social media platform. The internet is an evil place and it doesn't make me feel good. Why should I spend any time on negative energy when my real life is f***ing lit."
Davidson's social media posts had been put under the spotlight since his engagement to Grande. He recently caught some online backlash when Grande posted a photograph to Instagram of her late grandfather, on the anniversary of his death. A comment from Davidson said, "omg what a cutie." He later deleted the comment.
Meanwhile, actor Michael Rooker removed his Twitter page following the controversy surrounding movie writer and director James Gunn. A series of Gunn's tweets from several years ago resurfaced last week, including jokes made about child sex and molestation. The filmmaker has since apologized.
Gunn was the creative force behind the two "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies from Marvel, which is owned by Disney. The company's executives cut ties with Gunn last week. He had been working on a third film in the "Guardians" series, set to be released in 2020.
Many stars from the "Guardians" films have since spoken out in support of Gunn. Rooker played Yondu in the first two films and briefly posted comments to his Twitter page, before removing the page entirely. "Twitter sucks," Rooker stated, "and I want nothing to do with it."
Gunn has not posted to his Twitter page since his apology.
A similar past incident has come back to haunt television producer Dan Harmon, who was found simulating sex with a baby doll in a 2009 video. The "Rick and Morty" and "Community" creator apologized for the "distasteful" sketch, that he called part of a failed comedy pilot.
Following the controversy, Harmon too deleted his Twitter account entirely.
And instances of cyberbullying forced two young actresses to ditch their social media pages last month. "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown deactivated her Twitter account when the hashtag #TakeDownMillieBobbyBrown began circulating online. As a result, the 14-year-old actress was falsely linked to stories of homophobia.
Brown remains active on Instagram.
Prior to that, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" actress Kelly Marie Tran was forced off of Instagram due to racist comments from fans who disagreed with her character's inclusion in the saga's recent installment. The movie's director, Rian Johnson, said on Twitter, "On social media, a few unhealthy people can cast a big shadow on the wall."
Tran's decision came after "Star Wars" co-star Daisy Ridley left Instagram in 2016. She was harassed online after speaking out against gun violence. That same year, Davidson's "Saturday Night Live" co-star Leslie Jones temporarily left Twitter as venomous comments were directed at her and her part in the all-female version of "Ghostbusters."