Fans of Kelly Marie Tran—the bubbly actress who made her big screen debut in Star Wars: The Last Jedi last year—received a bit of a shock on Tuesday when it was reported that the star had deleted all of her Instagram posts. Her account, usually a source of cheery, forthright photos about her ascent to stardom or delightful nerd ephemera, had been wiped clean reportedly because the Vietnamese-American actress has been subjected to sustained harassment from racist and misogynistic Last Jedi viewers who despised her character, the spunky resistance fighter Rose Tico.
On Wednesday, after an online debate about the more insidious corners of the fandom began to rage, Last Jedi director Rian Johnson decided to weigh in on Twitter. “What we talk about when we talk about manbabies,” he said, alluding to the trolls.
He followed that up with a lengthier tweet acknowledging that the majority of Star Wars fans hes met over the years are not manbabies, but loving and respectful. “Were the VAST majority, were having fun & doing just fine,” he said.
Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, also jumped into the fray, agreeing with Johnsons sentiment about the majority of fans. “Same here, but over the past 40 years for me,” he noted.
Tran was the first Asian actress to land a prominent role in the Star Wars franchise, a milestone she readily acknowledged and embraced in all its bittersweet nature. “I wish the world was different,” she said in an interview with GQ. “I wish there was equal representation across races, cultures, socioeconomic classes, gender identities, body types, abilities; I wish all people were represented—as writers, directors, producers, actors! I wish it wasnt so rare.”
Shes also not the only Star Wars actress to quit social media thanks to harassment. Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the core franchise, deleted her Instagram in 2016 after being harassed over a post on gun violence. Ridley had attended that years Teen Choice Awards and was brought to tears after seeing teen family members of Orlando, Newtown, and San Bernardino shooting victims. “It was a true moment of togetherness. We must #stoptheviolence,” she wrote at the end of her caption, igniting a debate in the comments section about gun control. John Boyega later confirmed that his co-star had left social media, writing on Tumblr that “shes doing whats best for her. I wont be advising my friend to come back. Sorry.”
Representatives for Tran and Johnson have yet to respond to Vanity Fairs request for comment.
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:See Annie Leibovitzs Exclusive Cast Portraits of Star Wars: The Last Jedi for Vanity FairMaster Class
Daisy Ridley as Resistance warrior Rey and Mark Hamill as mentor Luke Skywalker, on location in Ireland.Photo: Photographed exclusively for V.F. by Annie Leibovitz. For The Last Jedi: costume design by Michael Kaplan; production design by Rick Heinrichs. For V.F.: set design by Mary Howard. For details, go to VF.com/credits.
New Hope
Daisy Ridleys Rey hones her lightsaber skills—and channels her inner Force.Photo: Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Drivers Seat
Daisy Ridley as Rey, at the helm of the Millennium Falcon, with Joonas Suotamo as co-pilot Chewbacca.Photo: Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Freedom Fighters
Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, and Kelly Marie Tran as the rebels General Leia Organa, Poe Dameron, Finn, and Rose Tico, with droid BB-8.Photo: Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Rookies
Benicio Del Toro, as the shifty “DJ,” a newcomer to the saga.Photo: Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Spawn
Adam Driver, in character as Kylo Ren, Han Solos son and slayer, wields a crossguard lightsaber.Photo: Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
The Dark Side
First Order leaders General Hux, Kylo Ren, and Captain Phasma, played by Domhnall Gleeson, Adam Driver, and Gwendoline Christie.Photo: Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.PreviousNext
Daisy Ridley as Resistance warrior Rey and Mark Hamill as mentor Luke Skywalker, on location in Ireland.Photographed exclusively for V.F. by Annie Leibovitz. For The Last Jedi: costume design by Michael Kaplan; production design by Rick Heinrichs. For V.F.: set design by Mary Howard. For details, go to VF.com/credits.
Daisy Ridleys Rey hones her lightsaber skills—and channels her inner Force.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Daisy Ridley as Rey, at the helm of the Millennium Falcon, with Joonas Suotamo as co-pilot Chewbacca.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, and Kelly Marie Tran as the rebels General Leia Organa, Poe Dameron, Finn, and Rose Tico, with droid BB-8.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Neal Scanlan (seated), creative supervisor of the Star Wars creature shop, and guests at the Canto Bight casino.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Costume designer Michael Kaplan (seated), surrounded by some of his creations.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, with droids R2-D2 and BB-8 and the Droid Departments Brian Herring, Dave Chapman, Matthew Denton, Lee Towersey, and Joshua Lee.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Carrie Fisher (General Leia Organa), writer-director Rian Johnson, Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and producer Kathleen Kennedy with Fishers dog, Gary, and Hamills daughters dog, Millie.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Fisher, who died in December, with daughter Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Kaydel Connix).Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Fisher and Hamill, with whom she first worked four decades ago.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Laura Dern, as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, a newcomer to the saga.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Benicio Del Toro, as the shifty “DJ,” a newcomer to the saga.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Adam Driver, in character as Kylo Ren, Han Solos son and slayer, wields a crossguard lightsaber.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
First Order leaders General Hux, Kylo Ren, and Captain Phasma, played by Domhnall Gleeson, Adam Driver, and Gwendoline Christie.Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.
Yohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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