'Star Wars' Twitter Account Takes A Stand Against 'Racist' Moses Ingram Harassment
By Kristin Myers on May 31, 2022 at 1:00 PM EDT
The official Star Wars Twitter account seems to have had enough with the harassment that "Obi-Wan Kenoi" actress Moses Ingram is currently facing.
Ingram revealed that Lucasfilm executives had actually warned her that she would probably face harassment from "racist" trolls ahead of the show's premiere; however, that has not stopped the harassment from spreading against her online as fans criticized both her and her character, the Force Sensitive Inquisitor Reva.
It seems that the official Star Wars Twitter account is trying to take a stand against the harassment by acknowledging it on their social media platforms and finally saying enough is enough.
Star Wars Throws Support Behind Moses Ingram In Wake Of Online Harassment
We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva’s story to unfold. If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist. pic.twitter.com/lZW0yvseBk
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 31, 2022
On Tuesday, the official Star Wars Twitter account tweeted, "We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva’s story to unfold. If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist."
They added, "There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, don’t choose to be a racist."
Many fans threw their support behind Star Wars' message, although many fans wondered why there wasn't the same support for John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran when they faced the same harassment for their roles in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy several years ago. Fans also called out the lack of support for Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy.
this is wonderful and important but I can't help but wonder why there was no defense like this for john boyega, kelly marie tran, ahmed best, etc. this should've been the standard since the beginning, but those people were bullied/harassed so much they had to leave social media. https://t.co/COsm3gcH3X
— ashley - kenobi spoilers (@awinchestersgal) May 31, 2022
"this is wonderful and important but I can't help but wonder why there was no defense like this for john boyega, kelly marie tran, ahmed best, etc," one fan noted. "This should've been the standard since the beginning, but those people were bullied/harassed so much they had to leave social media."
Fans Stand Up For John Boyega Amid Ongoing Fan Harassment
Remember that time @starwars had to edit out John Boyega from their poster in China https://t.co/HL2WqBa0ep pic.twitter.com/1TrNWswuOP
— Prison Mitch (@MidnightMitch) May 31, 2022
Another fan pointed out that China literally edited out John Boyega, who played Finn in the sequel trilogy, from the movie poster, which was met with silence from Disney at the time.
John Boyega: played a hero and is a hero
I hope when he returns to Star Wars he gets all the love he should've gotten during the TFA boycott and sequel backlash pic.twitter.com/wmkC2x5Iic
— Okiro (@TheFirstOkiro) May 31, 2022
John Boyega actually started trending as many threw their support behind the "Attack the Block" actor. "John Boyega: played a hero and is a hero," another fan wrote. "I hope when he returns to Star Wars he gets all the love he should've gotten during the TFA boycott and sequel backlash."
Moses Ingram deserves better. John Boyega deserved better. Kelly Marie Tran deserved better. Ahmed Best deserved better. I am so sick of the ridiculous racist behavior by grown ass adults who are throwing tantrums cause a POC is a part of Star Wars. ENOUGH.
— fay/(x)avier 🌿 (@fettjangos) May 31, 2022
Another fan wrote, "Moses Ingram deserves better. John Boyega deserved better. Kelly Marie Tran deserved better. Ahmed Best deserved better. I am so sick of the ridiculous racist behavior by grown a-- adults who are throwing tantrums cause a POC is a part of Star Wars. ENOUGH."
even john boyega called them out on this pic.twitter.com/yKeQ0bBNXJ
— B o w i e (@BitchAssBowie) May 31, 2022
After the sequel trilogy was over, Boyega was very vocal about the way that he was treated, not only by fans, but by Disney itself, who completely sidelined his character in favor of the two white leads. In an interview with GQ, Boyega said that Disney gave all of the "nuance" to Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley, while other actors of color were sidelined.
While Disney standing up for Moses Ingram might signal a shift in the company culture now, it still doesn't take away from what Boyega and fans already lost.