These celebrities decide to take a break after getting hateful comments.
Celebrities may be used to living out their lives in public, but deep down, they're just like the rest of us, and not immune to the dangers of social media.
While stars use platforms like Twitter and Instagram to connect with their fans, sometimes that two-way street can get ugly, leaving celebs victim to hateful comments and online bullying. Young actresses like Ariel Winter and Millie Bobby Brown have recently found themselves stepping away from Twitter as a result, while Justin Bieber made headlines in 2016 for threatening to make his Instagram private.
Read on to find out which other stars have left social media due to bullying.
Ariel Winter
The 20-year-old actress deleted her Twitter account on Friday after her rep confirmed to ET that Modern Family actress had experienced extreme negativity on the site.
"Ariel has taken a break from Twitter and engaging with commenters on her other platforms because of the constant negativity she experiences," Winter's rep said to ET. "She needs a moment to breathe and enjoy herself without [judgment]."
Millie Bobby Brown
Last month, the 14-year-old Stranger Things star deactivated her Twitter account after becoming a homophobic meme.
It all began when creators of the memes tweeted out pics of Brown, with text over the photos that featured homophobic statements and slurs, garnering thousands of retweets and likes on the social media site. The cyberbullying went one step further, with many people using the cruel hashtag "#TakeDownMillieBobbyBrown." The memes falsely accuse the actress, who has been a vocal supporter of of GLAAD's Together movement, of homophobia.
During the 2018 MTV Movie and TV Awards, Brown delivered a passionate speech against cyberbullying via video, telling viewers, "If you don't have anything nice to say, just don't say it."
"There should be no space in this world for bullying and I'm not going to tolerate it and neither should any of you," Brown, who was unable to attend the awards show in person due to a kneecap injury, said.
"If you need a reminder of how worthy you are and to rise above the hate, message me on Instagram."
Kelly Marie Tran
The Vietnamese-American Star Wars actress wiped her Instagram account after growing tired of dealing with negative comments. Tran reportedly received racist, sexist and hate-fueled comments from Star Wars fans who criticized her character and directed their anger towards her personally.
Tran, however, had support from her co-stars and Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, who spoke out about the drama with a passionate message to bullies on Twitter.
Daisy Ridley
The Star Wars: The Force Awakens star was also a victim of social media criticism. In 2016, the British actress deleted her Instagram after receiving some backlash for a post on anti-gun violence following the Orlando, Florida, nightclub shooting. Ridley was then subject to harsh comments from the pro-gun community, as well as Star Wars fans who called her out for the violence in the films.
Josh McDermitt
In 2017, the Walking Dead actor, who portrays Eugene Porter on the zombie series, quit social media after allegedly receiving death threats. During season seven, McDermitt's character underwent a drastic change, which didn't sit well with some fans. Before terminating his Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts, the actor took to Facebook Live to tell his followers that they can hate Eugene, but the bullying and threats are unnecessary.
Justin Bieber
In the summer of 2016, the "Sorry" singer told his followers that he would set his account to private if they continued to harass his rumored girlfriend Sofia Richie.
“I’m gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don’t stop the hate this is getting out of hand, if you guys are really fans you wouldn’t be so mean to people that I like,” he captioned a picture with the model. When the insults continued, and even included an online feud with his ex, Selena Gomez, Bieber deactivated his Instagram. However after several weeks, he returned to the platform.
Leslie Jones
The Ghostbusters star called it quits on Twitter after receiving intense racist and cruel comments about her appearance and work on the female-led reboot.
"I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart," she wrote in 2016. "All this 'cause I did a movie. You can hate the movie, but the s**t I got today... wrong." The comic, however, returned only two days later to continue to promote the film.
For another star who has spoken out against cyberbullying, watch the video below.
RELATED CONTENT:
